Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu on Monday  emerged the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the September 19,  Edo Governorship Election.

In the party’s primaries conducted across the 18 Local Government Areas of the state, Ize-Iyamu, defected two other aspirants to clinch the APC ticket.

He scored  27,838 votes to beat the state former deputy governor, Dr Pius Odubu and Mr Osaro Obaze, who scored 3,776 and 2,324 votes respectively to emerge second and third in the primaries.

The results were announced by Sen. Hope Uzodinma, governor of Imo, in the presence of Resident Electoral Commissioner for Edo, Dr Johnson Alalibo, State Director of DSS, Mr Waziri Mohammed and State Commissioner of Police, Mr Johnson Kokumo.

Announcing results submitted by the 18 local government areas  returning officers, Uzodinma described the exercise as peaceful and transparent.

The committee chairman of the Edo APC governorship primary, said with the results submitted, Ize-Iyamu was now the candidate of APC for the Edo governorship election.

According to him,  Ize-Iyamu haven scored the highest number of votes cast, is hereby returned as the candidate of APC in the the Edo primary election.

He noted that the result was the outcome of results collated from the various wards  and local government areas by the returning officers.

Uzodinma also noted that three aspirants were cleared to contest the primaries,  adding that before the exercise, words got to the committee that two of the aspirants had withdrawn.

“But in line with the Electoral Act as amended, we decided to go on with the primary election,”  he said.

The Imo governor commended security agencies for providing adequate security for those who participated in the exercise, which in his words “so far remains one of the most transparent and credible exercises since the present democracy.”

Ize-Iyamu, who was candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in 2016 election had defected to the APC in the heat of the tussle between Gov. Godwin Obaseki and Adams Oshiomhole, the suspended national chairman. (NAN)