Edo Speaker, Agbebaku clinches APC ticket, as deputy Atu crashes out

Atu Osamwonyi, the deputy speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly, on Wednesday failed to clinch the All Progressives Congress (APC) return ticket for the Orhionmwon I constituency ahead of the 2027 general election.

Atu was defeated by Ndidi Aghimien as the party’s candidate after polling a total of 2,777 votes as against Atu’s score of 9 votes

Other aspirants at the party’s primary elections are Terry Igiebor, 87 votes, and Nosakhare Eguagie, 57 votes.

Meanwhile, Blessing Agbebaku, the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, was elected candidate for the Owan West constituency with 2, 846 votes.

Agbebaku defected to the APC from the Peoples Democratic Party in January 2025 and defeated his closest rival, Atafo Gold, who scored 60 votes.

Other aspirants, who include Ohioma George, got 31 votes, while Frank Ilaboya, a former chairman of the Owan West Local Government Council, and Juliana Ikharo garnered zero votes, respectively.

Read also: Sani consolidates Kaduna APC structure as Assembly leaders clean sweep primaries

Maria Edeko, the former Deputy Speaker under the PDP-dominated house, also clinched the APC ticket to recontest for the Esan North-East II constituency election.

Edeko likes Blessing Agbebaku, who defected to APC from PDP and scored 1,549 votes to emerge the party’s candidate.

Similarly, Eric Okaka, the former Minority Leader of the Assembly under the APC minority polled 4,213 votes to secure the Owan East constituency ticket.

He defeated Kayode Jeffrey, who has just been nominated as commissioner-designate by Governor Monday Okpebholo. He got 46 votes, while Agbonkhan polled 47 votes.

In the Etsako Central constituency, Ahmed Waziri Oshomah got 3,304 votes to secure the party’s return ticket after defeating aspirants which included Kenneth John, 34 votes, Emma Momoh, 39 votes; Abdullahi Kassim Usman, 37 votes; Christopher Osi, 2 votes; and Mathew Aliu, zero votes.

In Orhionmwon constituency II, the incumbent lawmaker representing the constituency, Iyamu Bright, failed to clinch the party ticket.

Iyamu was defeated by Odiase Etinosa Endurance.

Victor Giwa was elected as a candidate for the Esan South-East constituency after defeating the incumbent lawmaker, Sunday Ojiezele.

Kaycee Osamwonyi was returned to the contest for the Uhunmwode constituency.

In Oredo East, Edwin Osamuede defeated Frank Omosigho to emerge the party’s flagbearer.

Read also: Peter Obi secures NDC clearance as sole presidential aspirant for 2027

Omosigho defected to APC from PDP in 2025, while his Oredo West counterpart, Richard Edosa, was elected as a candidate unopposed with 3,763 votes.

Edosa, the only member elected on the platform of the Labour Party, also defected to the APC in 2025.

In the Etsako East constituency, Aminu Ibrahim Imafidor defeated the incumbent lawmaker, Kingsley Ugabi, to emerge as the candidate.

In addition, Jonathan Ibhamawu, the Majority Leader of the House, and Abdulganiyu Akokhia were also elected as candidates for the Esan West and Etsako West II constituencies

Other results showed that Fada Eigbiremonlen, Esan Central; Andrew Uzamere, Ovia North-East II; and Donald Okogbe, Akoko-Edo II, decampees from PDP, were elected as candidates.

In the Ikpoba Okha constituency, Ikponmwosa Clement defeated Nicholas Ansonsere, the incumbent, to emerge the party’s flag bearer, while Jennifer Iyamu clinched the Egor constituency ticket.

Also, Eugene Ojie Inegbeboh failed to secure a return for the Igueben constituency as he was defeated by Obehi Ayemere.

Inegbeboh was one of the elected PDP lawmakers that defected to the APC after the party lost the governorship election to Governor Monday Okpebholo, the APC candidate.