BENIN—THE All Progressives Congress, APC, primaries held to elect the party’s flagbearer for Ovia federal constituency may have come and gone but the aftermath of the exercise has left a sour taste in the mouths of party faithful in the constituency.

The primaries, held at Ozolua Model Primary School, Iguobazuwa, headquarters of Ovia South-West Local Government Area, was between the incumbent legislator representing the area, Isaac Osahon, Orobosa Omo-Ojo, a serving Commissioner in the Governor Adams Oshiomhole government and Mr. Charity Amwanyaevbo, who recently joined the APC from the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.

The result of the congress is now before the House of Representatives Appeal panel set up by the party to look into the outcome of the primaries. The panel is yet to come out with its report, contrary to reports that one of the aspirants, Charity Amwanyaevbo, had been declared winner.

The primary election was going on smoothly until the counting of the votes of the contestants, when hell was let loose, as the tables where the sorted votes were arranged were allegedly overturned. One of the contestants in the primaries, Orobosa Omo-Ojo, who is demanding for justice, in his petitions sent to the Inspector General of Police; National Chairman of APC; Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC; the governor of Edo State, Mr Oshiomhole and the House of Representatives Primaries Appeal Committee set up by the party, accused a serving commissioner in the state, and some other aides of the state governor, of being responsible for the mayhem that disrupted the sorting and counting of the votes.

Omo-Ojo, until he was appointed by the state governor as commissioner, was the publisher of Midwest Herald Community Newspaper and now Commissioner for Transport in the Oshiomhole administration.

In his petition to the Police IG, his counsel, L.E. Asirawede, alleged that one Dennis, Morrison and Andrew, apart from assaulting him at the venue of the primaries, perpetrated acts of physical violence against his person in their bid to pervert the electoral process in favour of their preferred aspirant.