Edo 2016: How ex-APC leader emerged PDP’s candidate

Osagie Ize-Iyamu on Monday emerged the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party for the September 10, 2016 governorship election in Edo State.
In the result of the primaries announced by Governor Dave Umahi of Ebonyi State, who was the Chairman of the committee that conducted the exercise, Ize-Iyamu polled 584 votes to defeat two other aspirants.
His closest opponent, Mathew Uduoeyekemwen, according to Umahi, scored 91 votes, while Chief Solomon Edebiri polled 38 votes.
Ize-Iyamu was the Secretary to the State Government during the regime of former Governor Lucky Igbinedion between 1999 and 2007.
He was the South South leader of the All Progressives Congress before defecting to the PDP in 2014.
Umahi said 713 delegates were accredited for the primaries from a total delegates’ list of 751, adding that there were no invalid votes.
Presenting Ize-Iyamu to the party members, primaries committee chairman thanked all the PDP governors and members for their support, which led to the success of the exercise.
In his acceptance speech, Ize-Iyamu commended the national leadership of the party and the electoral committee for transparency and fairness in the process.
He said the fight to reclaim Edo State would continue until the party produced the governor in the September election.
Before the collation of results, the three aspirants said that they were satisfied with the process, describing it as transparent, free and fair.