Confusion has engulfed the Edo South Senatorial District primary election of the All Progressives Congress (APC) following the emergence of conflicting results announced by parallel electoral panels after Monday’s exercise.

One faction of the electoral committee, led by Mohammed Ajana, declared former member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Omorgie Ogbeide-Ihama, winner of the primary after collating results from the seven local government areas in the district.

Announcing the outcome at Urhokpota Hall in Benin City, Ajana said Ogbeide-Ihama polled 27,154 votes to defeat Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, who scored 6,785 votes, while incumbent Senator Neda Imasuen garnered 13,580 votes.

Ajana stated that the results were collated ward-by-ward across the senatorial district and would be forwarded to the APC National Secretariat for ratification and official confirmation.

According to figures released by the committee, Ogbeide-Ihama reportedly won in all seven local government areas of the district, namely Oredo, Ikpoba-Okha, Egor, Orhionmwon, Ovia North-East, Ovia South-West and Uhunmwonde.

However, in a dramatic turn, another electoral panel headed by Chief Returning Officer, Abubakar Mohammed Kabiru, announced a different outcome, declaring Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu as the winner of the same primary election.

Kabiru said Ize-Iyamu secured 33,399 votes to emerge victorious, while Ogbeide-Ihama polled 12,560 votes and Senator Neda Imasuen scored 5,107 votes.

The conflicting declarations have created uncertainty within the APC in Edo South, with party members and political observers awaiting clarification from the party’s national leadership on the authentic outcome of the primary.

Supporters of both aspirants were seen celebrating their respective declarations at different locations, while security personnel maintained order around collation centres across the district.

The primary election was reportedly conducted across the 77 wards in the seven local government areas that make up Edo South Senatorial District, with officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) said to have monitored the process.

As of the time of filing this report, the APC National Secretariat had yet to issue an official statement clarifying the authentic result of the exercise.