Mr Marcus Onobun, the member representing Esan Central/Esan West/Igueben Federal Constituency at the House of Representatives has rejected the outcome of the All Progressives Congress, APC, primary election for the constituency, insisting he emerged winner of the exercise held over the weekend.
Onobun appealed to the party to declare him the authentic winner of the primary, citing ward-level results that he said supported his case.
The APC candidate made the demand in a petition filed on Sunday to the APC Primary Election Petitions Committee, seeking a full review of ward results together with reports from party officials, agents and other documentary evidence.
In the petition he stated that he received the highest number of valid votes cast in the exercise.
“ I want to be declared the authentic winner of the APC primary having won majority of lawful votes,” he said.
He further alleged that he had won the ward level results across the constituency but the declared result showed another candidate as winner.
It was reported that the APC Primary Election Committee had declared Lucky Esiegbe the winner of the contest which Onobun is now contesting.
He explained that the party had adopted the direct primary mode, which allowed registered members from the 30 wards in the constituency to participate in the selection of the candidate.
Onobun further alleged that there were irregularities in the collation and announcement of results in some wards, and claimed that due process was not observed.
The lawmaker who was elected under Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, before defecting to the APC in July 2025, said he was forced to leave the party due to the internal crises, lack of leadership stability and divisions in the party.
He is a former Speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly and a member of the board of trustees, APC.
