By DADA AYOKHAI
While the All Progressive Congress, APC, was harvesting victories in most parts of the Edo North district during the state assembly election, the party had reverse fortunes in Akoko Edo where it lost the two assembly seats up for grabs to the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP
The two-state assembly seats in contention were Akoko Edo Constituency 1 and 2 respectively
For instance, Hon Emmanuel Agbaje of the APC lost the Akoko Edo Constituency 2 election to Hon Donald Okogbe of the PDP.
Hon Agbaje was staging a third-term bid to the House which should have made him a principal officer of the house and the person who unseated him, Hon Okogbe, is a first-timer.
Similarly, the state assembly election result for the Akoko Edo Constituency 1 produced a shocker. Prince Yekini Idanye of the PDP won against Hon Samuel Bello of the APC. The PDP candidate elect is a returning member of the assembly.
What is perhaps most shocking to pundits is the fact that Akoko Edo has been a stronghold of the APC since the entry of Comrade Adams Oshiomole into politics
During the February 25 presidential and national assembly elections, the APC machinery was at its most ruthless potency. The party did not only overhaul the PDP but also returned Hon Peter Akpatason as the member-elect for the House of Reps.
The 360-degree turnaround in three weeks is a source of concern to the APC leaders and this has got tongues wagging as to what may have transpired during the state assembly election
The shocking loss of the two Akoko Edo state assembly seats have now placed the party in a disadvantageous position
. Before the state assembly election, the APC banked on the clean sweep of the state assembly seats in the Edo North, its stronghold, to secure the majority in the state assembly but the final outcome dashed any such hope
The loss of the two constituencies have been attributed to internal squabbles within the APC as well as ethnic rivalry .
