Former Secretary to the State Government, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, has predictably been declared the winner of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) gubernatorial primary held at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium in Benin, the state capital with a massive vote count of 584 to defeat his two other opponents.

The announcement of Ize-Iyamu, seen as the best among the PDP candidates to challenge the APC in the upcoming governorship election threw the city into a wild frenzy as his supporters trooped out of the stadium into the streets in jubilant celebration.

The other aspirants, Matthew Iduoriyekemwen and Solomon Edebiri, had 91 and 38 votes to come second and third, respectively. Both staged a walkout prior to the announcement of the results

Ize-Iyamu, was the state campaign coordinator for former President Goodluck Jonathan in the 2015 presidential election. He is reputed as the man to give the APC a strong challenge in the election. He was declared winner by the Chairman of the PDP Primary Committee and Governor of Ebonyi State, David Umahi. Other governors present at the event were the  Governors of Delta and Gombe States, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa and Ibrahim Dankwambo respectively.