By Emmanuel Aziken, Political Editor

A fresh twist to the controversies shadowing the APC primaries emerged yesterday as it was alleged that fresh delegates were appointed to replace delegates who left the party with former party chieftain, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu.

Pastor Osaze Ize-Iyamu

The revelation came at a closed-door session between Governor Adams Oshiomhole and some of the aspirants. The meeting, allegedly called by Governor Oshiomhole to prepare grounds for a peaceful primary was, however, shaken by the revelation that the Ize-Iyamu delegates had been replaced by delegates supposedly appointed by the Deputy Governor, Dr. Pius Odubu.

Only six of the aspirants were present at the interactive session with the governor yesterday. Among those present were Engr. Chris Ogienwonyi, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, Mr. Emmanuel Arigbe-Osula, Mr. Peter Esele, Prof. Fredrick Amadasun and the only female aspirant, Mrs. Tina Agbarha.

Controversy broke out when one of the aspirants requested to know the circumstances of the delegates who left the party in 2014 with former party chieftain, Ize-Iyamu, who is now a frontline aspirant in the opposition PDP.

It was at that stage that it was revealed by a very top government official in attendance that the delegates who left were replaced by Odubu who is from the same local government area as Ize-Iyamu.

Some of the aspirants took the assertion with curiosity especially given that Odubu was not present at the forum. Remarkably, the governor also told the aspirants that he was yet to see the list of aspirants a revelation that equally stirred controversy among some of the delegates who expressed concern that the list of voters for the election due in three days had not been made known.