Ahead of the Party’s Governorship Primary, scheduled for mid-February, Adams Oshiomhole’s solid hold on the Edo State branch of the All Progressives Congress (APC) is facing its strongest challenge.
The current senator and former Governor of Edo is recognized as the APC Party’s leader and it is anticipated that he will choose the Party’s nominee for Governorship Election before the start of the August off-season poll.
To reduce the number of candidates from 29 to 6 ahead of the primary, Oshiomhole formed a committee. From the 3 Senatorial Districts, 2 candidates were chosen, according to the committee headed by Professor Julius Ihonvbere.
The shortlisted include Former Ministers under President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration, Clem Agba, and Afolabi Ernest, who were selected for Edo North.
Senator Monday Okpebholo, and David Imuse, the Former State Chairman of the APC, were chosen for Edo Central.
Former Deputy Governor Lucky Imasuen, and current House of Representatives member Dennis Idahosa, were endorsed in Edo South.
The Oshiomhole’s Committee excluded prominent candidates like Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu and Professor Oserhiemen Osunbor.
Enraged by the events, the APC’s National Working Committee (NWC) rejected the actions and urged all candidates to obtain nomination forms.
The APC claimed that Expressions of Interest and “Nomination Forms for the Edo State Governorship Election are open, available for purchase and collection to ALL interested party aspirants” in a statement issued by Mr. Felix Morka, the party’s spokesman.
He stated that an NWC-appointed committee will handle the aspirants’ vetting and clearance in line with the Party’s Constitution.
“All interested candidates must deposit the required funds into the Party’s authorized bank accounts and pick up their Expression of Interest and Nomination Forms from the Party’s National Secretariat, as per the released APC Timetable and Schedule of activities for the Edo State Gubernatorial Election,” stated in the statement.
Notwithstanding the party’s stance, a resolute Oshiomhole is said to have further reduced the field to 4, eliminating the names of candidates from Edo North.
It has been learned that many aspirants have committed to running for the position. Osunbor, a former Governor and Senator, stated that he will pick his nomination form tomorrow.
Osunbor declared that his people were firmly in his corner in a message that was widely sent among his supporters.
Likewise, Ize-Iyamu of Edo South, an APC contender for Governor in 2020, declared he would not back down and would see the process through.
“There were rumors that some people were excluded, but that is no longer possible due to that NWC release,” he stated. The committee appointed by the NWC is the sole body with the authority to reject candidates. I want to reassure you that I will run for office and win.
“My relationship is cordial,” he said of his relationship with Oshiomhole. I appreciate age, and he is my elder brother. Together, we have worked for a long time. He is a famous Senator and the leader of our party.
Former PDP Candidate for Governorship Charles General Charles Airhiavbere (retd), declared he was not going back on his position either.
In the meantime, Edo Central APC leaders have vowed to quit the party if the Senatorial District position is not zoned.
According to the Senatorial leaders, the area has been excluded from state politics since 1999.
They added that Edo South had produced the next 2 governors who would take office at the end of the year and serve a total of 16 years; Edo North, on the other hand, had likewise produced the next 2 governors who would spend 8 years each, excluding Edo Central.
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“Esan land has been neglected. There was an unofficial understanding that the next governor would come from the Esan zone, and we have supported other senatorial districts. That arrangement seems to have been maintained by PDP. But Oshiomhole is playing a risky game; he has never disguised his distaste for the Esan people. We don’t know what his ultimate plan is, but we will have no option but to leave the platform if he continues to attack our people,” a party official stated.
Gideon Obhakhan, a candidate from Edo Central, declared he would make a choice that would support the goals of his community. “We will determine what actions to take next for the benefit of our people as a whole as events develop. With everything we’ve got up to this point, let’s hold our heads high,” he uttered.