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The crisis rocking the All Progressives Congress in Edo State deepened on Monday as a faction loyal to the former governorship candidate of the party, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, declared him winner of the Edo South Senatorial District primary election for the 2027 National Assembly polls.
The fresh declaration came barely hours after the Mohammed Ajana-led APC National Assembly Primary Elections Committee had announced former House of Representatives member, Hon. Omoregie Ogbeide-Ihama, to have scored the highest vote cast in the same primary election.
The conflicting outcomes have since thrown the ruling party in Edo State into confusion, further exposing widening cracks within the APC ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Recall that the Ajana-led committee had earlier announced Ogbeide-Ihama to have score 27,154 votes to defeat the incumbent Senator representing Edo South Senatorial District, Senator Neda Imasuen, who scored 13,580 votes, while Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu came third with 6,785 votes.
However, in a dramatic twist, another faction of the party on Monday declared Pastor Ize-Iyamu winner of the primary election conducted across the 77 wards in the seven local government areas of Edo South Senatorial District.
Announcing the fresh results, the Chief Returning Officer, Abubakar Muhammad Kabiru, declared that Pastor Ize-Iyamu secured a total of 33,399 votes to emerge victorious in the exercise.
According to Kabiru, Hon. Omoregie Ogbeide-Ihama scored 12,560 votes, while the incumbent senator, Neda Imasuen, polled 5,107 votes.
The development has further heightened tension within the APC, with party members and political observers expressing concern over the emergence of parallel results from the same senatorial primary election.
The parallel declarations have since fuelled speculations of deepening factional interests within the APC structure in Edo State, especially among loyalists of the major contenders in the race.
Political analysts noted that the conflicting results could trigger prolonged legal and political battles capable of weakening the party’s cohesion in the state ahead of the 2027 elections.
An elated Pastor Ize-Iyamu, while addressing supporters after his declaration, expressed appreciation to party faithful for their support and confidence in his leadership.
He assured them of effective representation if elected in the forthcoming senatorial election, adding that the APC remained well positioned to retain political dominance in Edo South.
As of the time of filing this report, the national leadership of the APC had yet to officially react to the emergence of parallel results from the Edo South Senatorial District primary election.
