Metro

[JUST IN] Edo APC Primary: Protest Rocks Party Secretariat In Benin

Published

2 years ago

February 24, 2024

Editor

Barely 24 hours after Senator Monday Okpebholo was declared winner of the All Progressives Congress governorship primary in Edo State, one of the 11 aspirants that lost out, Dennis Idahosa, was at the national headquarters of the party to demand justice.

Idahosa, who arrived at the party secretariat at about 2.30pm accompanied by a horde of his supporters, described Thursday’s re-run election as a ‘selection’ and not an ‘electoral’ process as the ruling party wanted the world to believe.

The Edo federal lawmaker was one of the three winners that emerged from controversial first primary held on February 17, which was subsequently declared inconclusive.

Governor Hope Uzodimma, who was the then chairman of the primary election committee, had announced Idahosa as winner, while the returning officer, Stanley Ugboaja, declared Okpebholo as winner.

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

The outcome of the shadow election had led to a public outcry forcing the National Working Committee of the APC to declare the poll inconclusive, a pronouncement that paved way for last Thursday’s re-run election that produced Okpebholo as the winner.

Addressing newsmen at the main gate of the secretariat on Saturday, Idahosa threatened to drag the APC to court if the party fails to return his mandate.

The lawmaker, who told reporters that he has submitted protest letter to the APC governorship Appeal Committee, also appealed to President Bola Tinubu to call the APC NWC to order.

He said: “I am not here to make trouble. I am a lawmaker but one thing that we want is justice. Today, I might be a young man but it might be the children of NWC members tomorrow. We have to do the right thing, if we continue to do what is wrong as a country, we are not going to move forward.

“So I am calling on Mr. President to call NWC to order. Elections were held on the 17th of February. What they did on the 22nd was just selection. I challenged one of the LGA returning officers to show me a picture of him at the local government headquarters where he collated the results, he was just blabbing. There was nothing because I know that they were in the same hotel in Benin and that’s where they wrote all the results.

“So my fellow party members, I am not here to make trouble. I am only here to seek justice. I have written yesterday to the appeal panel commitee and I know they will do justice. I just want to go through the process, having exhausted the party’s conflict resolution mechanism. I will go further to seek justice in the court of law as I will not allow this to stand.”

An Edo lawyer and chieftain of the party, Bernard Ekun, who accompanied Idahosa told journalists that the NWC was deliberately trying to avoid fielding a viable candidate for the election.

According to him, when something is inconclusive, it invariably means some areas have been identified for primaries to before it can be termed completed.

He said, “The governor who was in charge of the purportedly selection primaries said that it was going to be a fresh election. Between you and I, when you know the issue of INEC, there is supposed to be 21 days notice from INEC for that primary. Nothing of such was done and we are out of time. Are you people saying that the selection process you have done, which you called a fresh election, should be acceptable to us?

“Our demands is that the February 17 primary stands. That is known to law. What they have done is kangaroo selection. What these people have done is that they have sold their responsibility and the excellence in them as reasonable men. They have sold it for a Chinese cusuine. People were in their hotel sleeping. How were they able to get the results? There was no election. We stand on February 17 election because that is the only that is one duly observed within the ambit of the law.”

Metro

Gunmen Kidnap Businessman In Ibadan

Published

1 day ago

May 4, 2026

Editor

Gunmen suspected to be kidnappers have abducted a 60-year-old man in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.

The victim was kidnapped on Saturday while on his way to his residence.

The incident occurred at Jinarere, Alakia in Ibadan.

Public Relations Officer of the State Police command, Olayinka Ayanlade, when contacted, confirmed the incident.

Ayanlade in a statement made available to DAILY POST on Sunday, explained that efforts are ongoing to rescue the victim.

Ayanlade said, “Preliminary information reveals that the victim, a 60-year-old male and building materials trader, was accosted while returning home along the Jinarere axis of Alakia Road by four masked armed men, who forcefully whisked him away in an unregistered ash-coloured Toyota Corolla vehicle”.

Metro

Tragedy As Suspected Kidnappers Kill Young Entrepreneur In Edo

Published

2 days ago

May 3, 2026

Editor

A 30-year-old entrepreneur and CEO of Principle Takeout, Justice Abu Oshioke, has been killed by suspected kidnappers in Ekpoma, Esan West Local Government Area of Edo State.

He was reportedly attacked by the suspected kidnappers on Saturday while on his way to pick up an order made for his child’s dedication on Sunday morning.

Eyewitnesses said the attackers attempted to force him into a nearby bush in a kidnapping attempt. However, he reportedly resisted and tried to escape.

In the course of the struggle, the assailants opened fire, shooting him multiple times.

Concerned residents quickly rushed him to a nearby medical facility, but he was confirmed dead on arrival.

The deceased was said to have recently gotten married and welcomed a baby boy.

The tragic event has turned a joyous occasion into a moment of grief for the family.

The shocking development has left the Ekpoma community in deep sorrow, with many residents expressing outrage over the growing insecurity in the area.

Edo State Police Command’s spokesperson, Eno Ikoedem confirmed the incident and said the Commissioner of Police, Monday Agbonika has ordered a “full-scale investigation and intensified manhunt for those responsible.”

According to her, the Police, in collaboration with the military, local vigilantes, and hunters, are actively pursuing the perpetrators through coordinated operations.

Metro

Grandfathers Arrested For Drug Trafficking

Published

2 days ago

May 3, 2026

Editor

Two grandfathers, aged 83 and 78, are among several suspects apprehended by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in a fresh nationwide crackdown on illicit drug trafficking.

Pa John Ofiel, 83, was arrested on Tuesday, 28 April during a raid in the Aba region of Abia State.

The NDLEA said that operatives acting on credible intelligence recovered 700 grams of skunk, a potent strain of cannabis already packaged into retail sachets.

The octogenarian, who claimed to be a professional shoemaker allegedly confessed to delving into the illicit trade.

In Ekiti State on Thursday 30 April 78 year old Ogunjobi Samuel was detained at his residence in Ilupeju-Ekiti where officers seized 350 grams of cannabis from him, identifying him as a local peddler.

Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the NDLEA, (CCEO), Brig. Gen. Mohamed Marwa (Rtd), commended the various state commands for their drug supply reduction efforts.

He urged officers to maintain the current momentum, balancing enforcement with the agency’s War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitisation activities.
The enforcement drive also led to the arrest of a notorious drug dealer in Oyo State Taofik Adeyemi, 49.

He was apprehended on Saturday, 2 May, at his residence in Ibadan after months of evading the authorities.

He was caught alongside his salesman, Mustapha Oyerinde, with 3.085kg of cannabis and a getaway vehicle.

Across other states, the NDLEA recorded significant seizures including over 140,000 pills and capsules of Tramadol intercepted in separate operations targeting transit routes from Damaturu to Hadejia.

A raid on Awolowo Market in Mushin area of Lagos state resulted in the recovery of 740kg of cannabis while in Kaduna, two suspects were caught on the Abuja-Jos highway with 290kg of compressed cannabis concealed in a Honda Ridgeline.

A 65-year-old driver was intercepted at the Ile-Ife toll gate in Osun state conveying skunk and methamphetamine, leading to a follow up arrest of the consignment’s owner in Ilesha.

In line with it’s mandate, the NDLEA continued its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) advocacy, holding enlightenment lectures for students, Islamic schools, and commercial motorcyclists in Niger, Kano, Anambra, and Lagos states.

The NDLEA’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, noted that the agency remains committed to “cleansing the streets” of both notorious distributors and those who use age as a shield for criminal activity.