Tension in Edo council as APC refuses to declare result of Reps primary

A Chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Akoko Edo Local Government Area of Edo state, Chief Afolabi Daudu has called on the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party to immediately release the result of the primaries of the Akoko Edo Federal Constituency.

The two major contenders were incumbent Mr Peter Akpantason and Mr Kabir Adjoto, the Speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly.

In fact, there is presently unease in the local government area over the decision by the NWC to withhold the results of the just concluded primaries.

Determined not to take chances as some hoodlums may capitalise on the situation to perpetrate mayhem, a combined team of fierce looking policemen and soldiers have been deployed to the area to beef up security.

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According to Daudu who spoke in Benin yesterday, while Adjoto polled 7,006 votes in the direct primary, going by figures released by the Mr Sufiiyanu Igbafe led the team who was the returning officer, Akpatason got 5,485.

While wondering why the result was being shrouded in secrecy, he said that the figure as released by Igbafe clearly put the incumbent speaker as the winner of the primary which was peaceful and rancour-free.

The top politician noted that the people of Akoko-Edo were shocked by the spurious and baseless allegations by Hajia Farida Suleman Odangi led Committee that the
elections were marred with violence, which was responsible for withholding the result.

Daudu fumed: “The people of Akoko-Edo wondered while elections which were adjudged to be free, fair devoid of rancour had its results withheld, while other results from Edo Central, Edo South, Etsako and Owan Federal Constituencies were released, leaving Akoko-Edo in blank.”

According to the figures released by the Sufianyanu Igbafe team, which conducted the elections in a peaceful atmosphere, the speak

He said that the cancellation of the results is not only a charade but a deliberate attempt by the committee to subvert the wishes and aspirations of the people and thrown Akoko Edo into mayhem.

According to him, as law-abiding citizens, the people will not fold their hands and allow what he insisted was daylight robbery of the mandate overwhelmingly given to Adjoto to be stolen.

“We are calling on the president  who is the Chief Security Officer of the country to prevail on the National Working Committee of APC to do the right thing and
allow justice to prevail by declaring Adjoto, who won the election convincingly winner of Akoko-Edo Federal Constituency.”