Edo APC Primary: Dekeri Storms Party National Secretariat, Demands Certificate Of Return

Anamero Dekeri, one of the three aspirants laying claim for the Edo State All Progressives Congress governorship ticket, visited the national headquarters of the party in Abuja on Monday to demand his certificate of return for winning in Saturday’s party primary.

It was reported that he met with Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje, the National Chairman of the APC.

Dekeri’s move follows ongoing protests in Benin, the state capital, where enraged youths and women reportedly seized control of the party secretariat. They demanded the immediate dismissal or dissolution of the state executives, led by the acting chairman, Jarret Tenebe, in response to the results of the February 17 shadow poll.

The poll produced three winners.

Chairman of the Electoral Committee of the primary, Governor Hope Uzodimma, had announced Dennis Idahosa as the winner, while returning officer, Stanley Ugboaja, declared Monday Okpebholo as the winner.

Elsewhere, Ojo Babatunde, who claimed to be representing the returning officers in all the local governments, declared Dekeri the winner of the election.

Despite declining to speak to journalists upon leaving the hall, Dekeri, who arrived at the secretariat in Abuja around 1:30 pm, reportedly held a 10-minute closed-door meeting with Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje, the National Chairman of the APC.

”He came with a letter addressed to the NWC through the national chairman, demanding they issue him his certificate of return, having been declared the winner of Saturday’s primary,” a source said.

When contacted, Tenebe, who was earlier seen declaring Okpebholo as their candidate in a viral video on Saturday, called for calm, saying only the leadership of the APC can declare the actual winner.

He said, “The party conducted a primary, and somebody emerged. So, within the next few days, you people (journalists) will know who won the primary. It was the National Working Committee that did the primary. So, there is a procedure for announcing the result.

“So, within the next few days, everything will be settled. That is the only thing I can say for now.”.

Tenebe was, however, mum on the call for his sack.