The House Leader of the House of Representatives, Prof. Julius Ihonvbere, has lost his bid to return to the Green Chamber after suffering a defeat in the All Progressives Congress (APC) primary for the Owan Federal Constituency in Edo State.
Ihonvbere was defeated by Hon. Ijegbai Andrew, a former Edo State Commissioner for Mining, in an election that signaled a major shift in the constituency’s leadership.
Announcing the results at the party secretariat in Afuze, the APC Returning Officer for the constituency, Kelvin Muhammed, declared Ijegbai the winner after he polled 3,695 votes. Prof. Ihonvbere trailed with 1,005 votes, finishing behind the winner alongside three other contestants.
In a similar upset, the incumbent representing Oredo Federal Constituency, Hon. Eseosa Iyawe, also lost his re-election ticket.
Iyawe was defeated by Dr. Paddy Iyamu, the immediate past Edo State Commissioner for Education, who secured a landslide victory with ,7088 votes.
The primary results have sent shockwaves through the state’s political landscape, as two high-profile incumbents were unseated by former state commissioners.
