The APC Primary: When The People Spoke, Will Power Listen?

By Thomas Zuamo

The APC Senatorial Primary held yesterday in Edo South was not just another partisan exercise. It was political theatre. Raw. Intense. Strategic. Emotional. A battle that captured the attention of people far beyond the APC fold. Across party lines, market squares, beer parlours, WhatsApp groups and drawing rooms, people followed the contest with the kind of interest usually reserved for a general election.

And perhaps for good reason.

Even though a sitting senator existed, everyone knew the real contest was between two men — Osagie Ize-Iyamu and Omoregie Ogbeide-Ihama.

On one side stood Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, a veteran of Edo politics, a man who has twice sought the governorship of Edo State and twice failed. But politics is sometimes less about popularity and more about timing. Few doubt Pastor Osagie’s political reach, grassroots depth, or ability to command loyalty across the Benin nation. This time, however, something appeared different.

He was presented not merely as an APC aspirant, but as a consensus voice of the Benin people. Across political divides, many believed the Senate required a man with presence, gravitas, and the courage to speak forcefully for Edo South. For many Benins, this primary became less about party and more about identity, representation, and political relevance.

On the other side stood Rt. Hon. Omoregie Ogbeide-Ihama, a two-term member of the House of Representatives and now head of a federal agency. Young, ambitious, and deeply connected to the structure of power, he was widely regarded as the preferred candidate of the Edo APC establishment. His confidence was not hidden. Neither was the source of it.

Those around him repeatedly referenced a political understanding allegedly reached during the 2023/2024 political negotiations. “Agreement is agreement,” became both slogan and shield. At every opportunity, the Wike factor was flaunted like a badge of inevitability — a signal that powerful forces stood firmly behind him.

But politics has a dangerous habit of exposing overconfidence.

Primary day revealed fractures many did not anticipate.

There were allegations of plans to capture the machinery of announcement, manipulate the process, and control the venue itself — the familiar template many observers claim was deployed during previous political exercises, including the emergence of Senator Okpebholo. But what seemed forgotten was that Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu was not a newcomer to political warfare. He understood the battlefield perhaps better than anyone else involved.

What followed was nothing short of a political masterclass.

Strategically and methodically, he ensured that elections actually held. Votes were cast. Delegates were seen. Ward returning officers functioned. The appointed returning officer observed proceedings. Structures that many feared would be bypassed suddenly became active and consequential.

It was not merely politics. It was maneuver. Counter-maneuver. Experience against entitlement. Street wisdom against establishment confidence.

By the end of the exercise, confusion reigned and two winners emerged.

Now the battleground has shifted from Benin City to Abuja.

Lobbying has intensified. Phone lines are burning. Power brokers are aligning. Delegations are moving. Pleas are being made behind closed doors. The question hanging over Edo South is now painfully simple:

Will the votes and visible will of the delegates count?

Or will the final outcome become another endorsement of a carefully orchestrated plot executed without the genuine consent of the people?

That is the real issue before the APC leadership.

Because beyond Pastor Osagie or Ogbeide-Ihama lies a larger danger — the growing perception that democratic processes only matter when they produce predetermined outcomes. If party members begin to feel their participation is ceremonial while decisions are already settled elsewhere, cynicism deepens and trust dies.

Yesterday’s primary was messy. Dramatic. Imperfect.

But it also revealed something powerful: people still care enough to fight for political ownership.

And perhaps that is the biggest lesson of all.

Thomas Zuamo
Political Analyst based in Benin City