On Saturday, the Edo State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) backed the position of Governor Monday Okpebholo, warning Peter Obi from coming into the state without security clearance.

The State Chairman of the party, Jarrett Tenebe, who spoke shortly after Joseph Ikpea and Omosede Igbinedion were announced as the senatorial candidate and the House of Representatives candidate for the Edo Central Senatorial District and Ovia Federal Constituency.

Tenebe also said that the party would campaign “Rigorously to prove to all that we actively won the 2024 governorship election.”

He said, “The party also believes that the governor was right in warning Peter Obi to get security clearance before coming into the state because of the opinion people have about Obi in the state, especially when the last time he came here, three people were killed.”

On the election, he said, “Now that we have our candidates, we will hit the ground running, we are going to campaign as if we have never won elections in this state. We want to let the people know that we actually won the last governorship election.”

Earlier, the Chairman and Chief Returning Officer of the APC Edo Central Primary Election Committee, Ugboaja Stanley, said the election was conducted in the 51 wards in the five local government areas in Edo Central, and Ikpea emerged the winner with 255 delegates from the zone, affirming the outcome.

His counterpart for the Ovia Federal Constituency, Lucky Ajokperiniovo, said Igbinedion emerged the candidate of the party for Ovia Federal Constituency after other aspirants stepped down for her.