I’m the rightful winner – Edo Rep Onobun protests APC primary result

By Usman Aliyu

Mr Marcus Onobun, the House of Representatives member representing Esan Central/Esan West/Igueben Federal Constituency has said he won the direct primary election conducted by the All Progressives Congress, APC, for the seat conducted over the weekend contrary to the results declared.

He therefore demanded to be declared rightful winner of APC House of Representatives primary for the constituency.

Onobun said this while urging the APC Primary Election Petitions Committee to review ward results and compare them with reports from officials, agents and documentary evidence.

“That I be declared rightful winner of the APC primary, having secured majority of lawful votes,” Onobun said in a petition he filed on Sunday to the APC Primary Election Petitions Committee, alleging ward results across the constituency showed his victory.

The committee reportedly announced Lucky Esiegbe as winner, in spite of Onobun’s claim that ward results indicated otherwise.

He said: “The party approved direct primary mode, empowering registered members across thirty wards to elect the candidate.”

He alleged irregularities in collation and announcement of results, saying due process was not followed in several wards.

Onobun who was elected on the platform of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, defected to APC in July 2025.

He cited internal crises, leadership instability and deep-seated divisions as his reasons for abandoning the PDP.

He was a former Speaker of Edo House of Assembly.