- Prof. Julius Ihonvbere has said he won the APC House of Representatives primary for Owan East/Owan West Federal Constituency in Edo state
- His aide, Samson Akhanieme, dismissed earlier reports claiming the House Leader lost the election and released the vote figures from the exercise
- Meanwhile, Ihonvbere later called for unity among APC members ahead of the 2027 general elections
Edo state – Julius Ihonvbere, the leader of the House of Representatives, has claimed victory in the All Progressives Congress (APC) primary election for Owan East/Owan West Federal Constituency of Edo state ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Prof. Ihonvbere, in a statement sent to Legit.ng on Sunday, May 17, dismissed reports claiming that he lost the APC nomination contest.
Photo credit: @thecableng
Source: Twitter
In the statement, Samson Akhanieme, chief press secretary to the House Leader, described the reports as misleading and insisted that the lawmaker won the exercise conducted across council wards in the constituency.
“The just concluded APC House of Representatives primary for Owan Federal Constituency, Edo state, held this Saturday, May 16th, has been won by the Leader, House of Representatives and current Member representing the Federal Constituency, Prof. Julius Omozuanvbo Ihonvbere”, Akhanieme said.
APC primaries: Breakdown of votes
Akhanieme provided details of the votes scored by the three aspirants who contested in the primary election.
He said:
“The overall votes cast in the electoral contest showed that Prof Ihonvbere polled 4,729 votes, while his closest rival, Hon. Andrew Ijegbai, recorded a total of 2,912 votes, with Hon. Abdul Oroh coming a distant third after polling just 29 votes.
“Recall that Hon. Foly Ogedengbe and Barr. Friday Ojealaro had earlier stepped down from the race in solidarity with Prof. Ihonvbere”.
The statement added that result sheets and video clips from various wards in Owan East and Owan West local government areas were presented as evidence of the outcome of the exercise.
House leader calls for unity ahead of 2027 elections
Akhanieme said the House Leader appreciated party members and stakeholders for their support and appealed for unity within the APC ahead of the general elections.
“In a post-election interview, Prof. Ihonvbere solicited the continued support of all party members, adding that he is fully committed to working together with the other former aspirants to deliver total victory for the APC in the 2027 general elections”, he added.
Photo credit: House of Reps
Source: UGC
APC Reps primaries: List of winners and losers emerges
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that the APC successfully concluded its House of Representatives primaries across Nigeria, setting the stage for next year’s general elections.
The exercise, held on May 16, 2026, drew significant attention as both seasoned lawmakers and fresh aspirants battled for tickets to represent their constituencies in the Green Chamber.
At the national level, prominent figures such as Speaker Abbas Tajudeen, Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu, and Lagos State House of Assembly Speaker Mudasiru Obasa secured their tickets with relative ease. James Faleke, Chairman of the House Committee on Finance, also clinched his ticket, while Yusuf Buhari, son of the late President Muhammadu Buhari, emerged as a first-time candidate in Katsina.
Source: Legit.ng