The Edo State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) on Saturday threw its weight behind Governor Monday Okpebholo’s warning to Peter Obi, advising the 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate not to visit the state without proper security clearance.
State APC Chairman, Jarrett Tenebe, made the statement shortly after the party formally announced Joseph Ikpea as its senatorial candidate for Edo Central and Omosede Igbinedion as the House of Representatives candidate for Ovia Federal Constituency.
Tenebe defended the governor’s stance, saying the warning was necessary due to past incidents involving Obi’s visits to the state.
The party supports Governor Okpebholo’s position. Peter Obi should get security clearance before coming into Edo. The last time he visited, it reportedly led to the death of three people. That has shaped public perception about him here, he said.
He also pledged that the party would launch a vigorous campaign ahead of the 2024 governorship election.
Now that we have our candidates, we’ll hit the ground running. We’ll campaign like we’ve never won elections before to prove we truly won the last governorship election.
Earlier, Stanley Ugboaja, Chairman and Chief Returning Officer of the APC Edo Central Primary Election Committee, announced that primaries were conducted across the 51 wards in Edo Central’s five local government areas, where Ikpea emerged with the backing of 255 delegates.
Similarly, Lucky Ajokperiniovo, who chaired the APC primary for Ovia Federal Constituency, confirmed Omosede Igbinedion as the consensus candidate after other aspirants stepped down in her favour.
