APC frontline aspirant Prof Senator Oserheimen Osunbor in the 2024 guber election came out tops among eight Edo Central aspirants gunning for the in a keenly contested online opinion poll conducted on Tuesday, December 5, 2024.
The Professor of law once again lived up to his billing as the party’s leading aspirant by scooping 141 of the total 256 votes with 55% to beat his closest rival, Amb. Odion Cedrack Okpebholo, who got 91 votes with 36% in the exercise that lasted 24 hours on various WhatsApp platforms.
Senator Monday Okpebholo came in a distant third with eight votes and 3%, Col. David Imuse came in fourth with seven votes and 3%, and Hon. Victor Eboigbe mustered three votes and 1% to finish in fifth position.
Hon. Joseph Ikpea, Dr. Nicholas Felix, and Rt. Hon. Festus Ebea tied on two votes and 1% apiece.
No doubt, the distinguished eight aspirants are eminently qualified to fly the party’s flag in the gubernatorial election in September, but the exercise was always going to produce one winner in Senator Osunbor, who has held sway in all opinion polls so far conducted ahead of the primary in February.
Opinions sampled across Edo State also earmark Senator Osunbor as the only reason the PDP has zero confidence in retaining the reins after September, and the party is hoping against hope Senator Osunbor doesn’t emerge as the APC’s flag bearer.
However, the ongoing exercise is a family affair, in which the APC must emerge unscathed and form even a stronger bond ahead of the election proper, as wresting power from the rancorous PDP remains cardinal.