Oshiomhole wins Edo north APC senatorial ticket as incumbent dumps party

Adams Oshiomhole, former national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has secured the ticket of the party to contest for a seat on the senate.

Oshiomhole, who is seeking to represent Edo north, contested against Francis Alimikhena, lawmaker currently representing the district.

Announcing the result on Saturday, Festus Ebia, returning officer for the primary, said Oshiomhole polled 309 votes, while Alimikhena got five votes.

A total of 320 delegates were said to have participated in the exercise.

Meanwhile, Alimikhena has resigned his membership of APC.

The lawmaker conveyed his resignation from the ruling party in a letter dated May 27 and addressed to Abdullahi Adamu, APC national chairman.

The senator said he withdrew from the primary and resigned from the party because of “injustice”.

“I write to notify you that I have withdrawn from the primary election as a result of injustice and also withdrawn my membership from the party, All Progressive Congress (APC),” he said.

Alimikhena was first elected into the upper legislative chamber in 2015. He was re-elected in 2019.

In April, Adams Oshiomhole, a former governor of Edo, declared his interest in contesting the senatorial ticket of Edo north.

While declaring his bid at the time, the former governor had said he would ask Alimikhena to step down for him.

“I will personally speak to my brother, senator Francis Alimikhena, for two reasons. I want us to maintain the unity of Afemai land and leaders must lead by example,” Oshiomhole said at the time.

“He knows the role I played in making him senator and he will be required to be the director-general of my campaign.”