A Benin palace chief, State chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress and two former senators were on Saturday, elected as delegates for the Peoples Democratic Party’s February 22 primary election.
The chief, Osaro Idah, the NLC chairman, Odion Olaye and former senators Yisa Braimah and Francis Alimikhena all got the nod of voters in their local governments.
In Oredo Local Government Area where 35 delegates voted, one was absent.
The congress, which adopted option A4, was conducted by two PDP officials from the national headquarters, Abuja and monitored by officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission in the presence of security agencies.
At the end of the exercise, Idah emerged as the elected delegate for the local government. The other two aspirants, Martins Osakue and Aguebor Sunday, were absent.
In Egor Local Government, the state chairman of NLC, Olaye, was elected as delegate.
Also in Etsako East, the immediate past senator, who represented Edo North district in the National Assembly, Alimikhena was elected as a delegate from the local government, while Braimah became the LG delegate for Owan West Local Government Area.
In Ikpoba Okha Local Government, Solomon Idehen emerged winner of the with 28 votes while two other contestants, Johnbull Igbinosu and Best Imade, did not show up for the election.
Speaking at Urhokpota Hall, the venue of the Oredo delegates congress, the PDP electoral officer, Owolabi Kayode, who declared Idah, the elected delegate, commended the delegates for conducting themselves peacefully.
“The exercise was one of the best, as it was devoid of any rancour. I must commend the delegates for their peaceful conduct,” he said.
Addressing journalists at the Western Boys High School, venue of Ikpoba-Okha LG Congress, Yusuf Bukhari, a member of the PDP, described the congress as the best conducted by the party since 1999.
He added, “The congress election is the best to have been conducted by the PDP. It was monitored by officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission as well as the official of the PDP from the national headquarters of the party.
“INEC needs to take a cue from the way the PDP conducted its delegate election so that Nigeria can move forward.”
The local government delegates congress took place simultaneously across the 17 local government areas of the state except Etsako Central local government.
Last Saturday, the ward congress election for Etsako Central local government was cancelled due to the alleged abduction of nine electoral officers who were on their way to the local government for the conduct of the ward congress.
The nine PDP electoral officers were allegedly kidnapped at Jattu community, in Etsako West local government.
Therefore, 18 delegates are to be elected across the 18 local governments with one delegate each except the Etsako Central Local Government Congress.
