Fresh tension has rocked the All Progressives Congress in Edo State after a controversial solidarity rally organised to endorse Engr. Omoregie Ogbeide-Ihama as the alleged “party choice” for the Edo South senatorial ticket was abruptly cancelled.
The rally, scheduled to hold on Sunday at Urhokpota Hall ahead of Monday’s APC senatorial primary, had already triggered outrage among supporters of rival aspirants, including Senator Neda Imasuen and Osagie Ize-Iyamu, who viewed the move as an attempt to compromise the credibility of the exercise.
When journalists visited the venue, only a handful of party loyalists were seen before news emerged that the event had been called off.
Announcing the cancellation in a terse statement, Mr. Lawrence Okah said: “Please this is to humbly inform you that the earlier scheduled solidarity rally slated for today Sunday have been canceled.”
The development has further exposed deep cracks within the Edo APC following reports that Governor Monday Okpebholo allegedly backed Ogbeide-Ihama as the preferred aspirant ahead of the direct primary.
The controversy intensified after the party released its primary guidelines directing all card-carrying members across the 192 wards in Edo State to queue behind the “party choice of aspirant.”
The directive sparked anger among some party leaders and stakeholders who questioned why a preferred candidate was being promoted while nomination forms were still being sold.
Some aggrieved APC members also expressed fears over what they described as an alleged attempt by “Legacy PDP” elements to hijack the party structure in Edo South.
One party chieftain alleged that the endorsement plot formed part of a broader political agenda to strengthen the influence of former PDP members within the APC following the January elections.
With the senatorial primary just hours away, the crisis has heightened anxiety within the ruling party, setting the stage for what observers say could become one of the fiercest internal battles in Edo APC politics.
