Tony Adun, the Edo State All Progressives Congress Youth Leader, has apologised to the party for encouraging youths and women to vandalise the secretariat following the first primary poll on February 17, which resulted in three winners.
The throng, led by Adun, also known as Kabaka, forced their way into the offices and took away furniture, bags of rice, and other equipment, threatening to remain in the building for seven days or until the state executive council dissolved.
Adun stated that they were criticizing the behavior of the officials during the primary election, stating that it was clear that the executive committee worked against the party.
The protest occurred after the Chairman of the Electoral Committee of the primary, Governor Hope Uzodimma, proclaimed Dennis Idahosa the winner, while the returning officer, Stanley Ugboaja, named Monday Okpebholo the winner.
Also, Ojo Babatunde, who claimed to represent the returning officials in all local governments, named Anamero Dekeri the winner of the election.
With the misunderstanding, the party’s National Working commission ordered a rerun on February 22 under the chairmanship of Governor Bassey Otu of Cross Rivers State, who replaced Uzodimma as the head of the electoral commission for the election.
Okpebholo won the exercise with 12,433 votes, defeating Idahosa, who received 6,541 votes.
Adun apologised to the state’s party leaders in a viral video and statement released on Sunday.
He said, “I, Comrade Tony Kabaka, the state youth leader of the APC, wish to apologise to our leaders, women leaders of our great party and all our youths as regards the conduct of aggrieved APC youths during the party primary which took place on the 17th February 2024.
“The party is supreme, I will work with the party and leaders to ensure that our candidate, Senator Monday Okpebholo, is victorious and I wish to use this medium to congratulate him on his victory at the just concluded party primary.
“I want to urge all youths to embrace peace and let us all work together to make sure we succeed in the general elections come September 2024, I remain a loyal party man.
“I wish to use this opportunity to appeal to our state chairman, Jarret Tenebe, and state secretary, Lawrence Okah, and other members of the state working committee to lead us to rebuild the party and bring all of us together to ensure our party produce the next governor in the elections.”