Delegates at the Edo State All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship primaries, on Saturday, were showered with naira.
The cash, according to a source, “was given to, at least, 95 per cent of the 2,771 delegates” but only 2,580 of them showed up for accreditation at the three centres – Agbado Primary School, Idah Model Primary School and Imaguero College, Benin.
It was gathered that two leading aspirants tried to outdo each other to get votes of the delegates through cash.
One of the contenders started the ‘naira rain’ on Friday night by enticing each of the delegates with N150,000.
He has been linked to the ‘powers-that-be’ in the South-South state.
The second aspirant, who is believed to be fighting the leader of the party in the state, gave each of the delegates N160,000 and when aides of the first aspirant told their boss, he ordered that another N150,000 cash be given to each delegate, totalling N300,000.
The second candidate was said to have added another N140,000 to the initial N160,000, totalling N300,000.
It was gathered that to ensure victory for the first aspirant, a popular businessman and ‘roughneck’ in Benin added another N150,000 to the initial N300,000, totalling N450,000 per delegate.
Other aspirants, a former minister, an educationist, a defector and a unionist, were said to have doled out N150,000, N100,000, N100,000 and N50,000, thus making each of the delegate to go home with N1,150,000.
Due to the high monetisation of the exercise, some of the aspirants are already crying foul.
One of them was heard saying: “With this bribery, our leaders have killed APC in Edo State”.
Because of the logistics involved in the ‘sharing of cash’, the primary election could not start until 5:30pm at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium, Benin.
The exercise commenced after completion of accreditation of all 2,580 of the expected 2,771 delegates.
Delegates from Edo North senatorial district and Akoko-Edo Local Government with Governor Adams Oshiomhole from Estako –West Local Government Area were seen voting about 5.33 p.m.
The party’s Publicity Secretary, Mr Godwin Erhahon, apologised to journalists covering the primary election for the lateness in the release of their accreditation cards.
He attributed the fault to the national body that is handling the accreditation.
