The Edo State chap­ter of the All Pro­gressives Congress (APC) on Tuesday said Comrade Adams Osh­iomhole, national chairman of the party, was economical with the truth when he said that the party was not aware of Governor Godwin Obase­ki’s preference for indirect primary.

He made the declaration fol­lowing a closed-door meeting he held with seven members of the Progressives Gover­nors’ Forum, led by Kebbi State governor, Atiku Bagudu.

Though the primary has been fixed for June 22, the Edo State chapter of the APC and the national leadership of the party are currently locked in a battle on the mode to be used in choosing the flag bearer.

While Edo APC, led by Anselm Ojezua, said it was adopting the indirect prima­ry method for the emergence of the party’s flag bearer in the September 19, 2020, governor­ship election in the state, the NWC said it had adopted the direct primary option.

Speaking while addressing the governors, Oshiomhole said the governor’s preference for indirect primaries fell with­in the realm of speculation since the party was yet to be formally notified.

He noted further that the party’s decision to use direct primary remained sacrosanct because it aligned with the APC’s constitution.

“Obaseki is not here but issues of primaries are well spelt out in our constitution, and we are following it as strictly as possible.

“So, there’s nothing to wor­ry about at all. You (reporters) are speculating; I don’t have any letter or document to that effect. These are very formal matters, so stop spreading ru­mours.”

However, speaking with Daily Independent, Anselm Ojezua, the Edo State APC chair­man, said it was not Obaseki’s duty to notify Oshiomhole.

Ojezua, who said Oshiom­hole was being clever by half, added that it was the duty of the state executive to notify the party leadership, which had been done.

“It is not the governor’s duty to notify him. It is the party’s responsibility to do that. The governor is just a member of the state executive.
“I am the state chairman of the party. The state executive has communicated with him on the need for indirect prima­ry. The man is being clever by half. It is not true that we have not notified him.

“The state executive com­mittee has notified him and that is all that is required. It is not the governor that will do that,” he said.

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In copies of letters sighted by our correspondent, the Edo State chapter of the party had written to the NWC, through the national chairman, on May 22, 2020.

The letter, which was stamped and acknowledged by one Temitope who also signed it on May 27, 2020 was titled: ‘Resolutions of the State Exec­utive Committee on the Mode of Primary for the Impending Governorship Election’.

It read: “At the meeting of the State Executive Committee with the critical stakeholders of the party in Edo State to­day, the 22nd of May, 2020 and upon a motion moved by the State Assistant Youth Leader, Joseph Ohiafi, Esq. and sec­onded by the State Auditor, Hon. Timothy Osadolor, it was unanimously resolved that:

“Pursuant to the constitu­tion of the All Progressives Congress (October 2014, as Amended) and in view of the authority conferred on us by the National Executive Com­mittee of our party to choose any of the methods provided in the said constitution for the conduct of primaries in Edo State, and having regards to the prevailing circumstances in the state, to wit, the raging COVID-19 pandemic and the policies, protocols, and regu­lations put in place by govern­ment which emphasise social distancing, among other safety measures being painstaking­ly implemented in the state, we as members of the State Executive Committee of the All Progressives Congress, Edo State, together with other critical stakeholders whose signatures in affirmation are herewith attached, do unani­mously choose and adopt the indirect primary method for use in nominating our candi­date for the 2020 gubernatorial election in the state.”

The letter was jointly signed by the state executive, local government party chair­men, statutory delegates for primary and local government council chairmen.

Also yesterday, a frontline aspirant of the APC in Edo State, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, welcomed the entrance of other aspirants into the race to clinch the ticket of the par­ty ahead of the governorship election in the state.

More persons have pur­chased the nomination forms to contest for the party’s ticket in its internal primary elec­tion scheduled for June 22.

In his reaction, Ize-Iyamu, speaking through a statement released by his campaign organisation and signed by Prince John Mayaki, the Di­rector of Communication and Media, described the emer­gence of more aspirants as a welcome development that will strengthen the party’s internal democracy.

He said: “I welcome the entrance of my fellow party men into the contest for the governorship ticket of our great party, the All Progres­sives Congress.

“As I have said before, I re­main resolute on the fact that we are all driven by a shared desire of developing Edo State, improving the standards of living of our people, and offer­ing a better alternative to an incumbent that has failed our party and state.”

Also yesterday, a political group in Ondo State, the Uni­ty Mandate Agenda, said Os­hiomhole had compromised with his endorsement of Gov­ernor Rotimi Akeredolu for another term.

The group, in a statement signed by its Coordinator, Comrade Babatope Abisola, said Oshiomhole’s public endorsement of Akeredolu looked like an easy ride to an­other term in office.

The plot by some governors of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC to give a soft landing to their counterpart in Edo State, Mr Godwin Obaseki failed on Monday as they could not get the party leadership to change its decision to use direct primary in selecting its governorship candidate ahead of the September 19 elections.

The governors were led to the meeting by the Chairman of the Progressive Governors Forum PGF, Atiku Bagudu of Kebbi state.

Others who are at the meeting are Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo state, Babajide Sanwo-Olu (Lagos), Simon Lalong (Plateau), Abdullahi Umar Ganduje (Kano), Abdulrahman Abdulrasaq (Kwara) and Muhammed Inuwa (Gombe).

Although Bagudu denied broaching the issue of the mode of the primary election in Edo state, multiple party sources who were privy to the outcome of the meeting said the governors had wanted the party to sanction the indirect primary method for the state as. Wing canvassed by Mr. Obaseki.

Having listened to the governors, the National Chairman of the party, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole had insisted that the mode of the primary would be the direct method, hinging his action on the 2018 decision of a meeting of the National Executive Committee NEC of the party.

Oshiomhole was said to have insisted that fielding the incumbent would incur losses for the party, saying the governor is not on good terms with political players in the state.

“There are 14 lawmakers who have not been sworn in until now by the governor, Obaseki. Oshiomhole told the governors who visited the party that those 14 lawmakers who were elected by their own people could go against Obaseki should he be given the ticket”, said a party source.

Another source said the party is not ready to lose the state and that the national chairman would in the coming days meet President Muhammadu Buhari on the Edo issue.

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“Sure, he will be meeting with the president soon but of course you know that Mr. President is a man who sticks to the law. He would want the party’s constitution to be respected.

“The NEC already took a position on the mode of primary elections and the president was part of that NEC meeting. If there must be indirect primary in any state, there are certain conditions that must be met and none has been met in the case of Edo”, he added.

NEC Position

Section 13 (V) of the APC Constitution (2014 as amended) stipulates that the NWC, “shall, in particular, propose to the National Executive Committee NEC, Party electoral regulations, to govern the conduct of elections to all Party offices at every level and to govern the Procedure for selecting Party candidates for elective offices, subject to the of this Constitution.”

And so it was that the NWC on August 30, 2018, proposed the direct method of primary to the NEC. The said meeting consequently stipulated how primary elections should be conducted. While it can be argued that the NEC resolutions were for the 2019 General Elections, it might be instructive to add that no further meetings of NEC have been held to invalidate its 2018 decision regarding the mode of primaries.

In an updated statement by the then acting National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Yekini Nabena after the said 2018 NEC meeting, the party held that; “The 30th August 2018 resolution of the All Progressives Congress (APC) National Executive Committee (NEC) on the mode of Primary Election has been subject to inferences and misleading interpretations.

“As an update to the earlier released statement, we wish to make the following clarifications on NEC’s resolutions on Mode of Primary Election: Primary elections into all elective offices shall be by Direct Primaries; NEC resolved to adopt Direct Primaries for the nomination of the Presidential candidate and all other Primaries; The Party’s constitution though provides for Indirect Election and Consensus, however, the use of Indirect Primaries is conditional and dependent on logistic impediments; peculiarities and need of a given state that makes it unable to use Direct Primaries.

“The State Executive Committee SEC shall in consultation with aspirants and other critical stakeholders of the Party in a given State forward for the consideration and approval by the National Working Committee NWC if Indirect Primaries is to be adopted. The adopted mode shall now be applied to all categories of the Party’s Primary Elections i.e. State Assembly, Senate, House of Representatives, and for the Governorship Elections.

“The request for Indirect Primaries must be signed by the majority of the State Executive Committee and critical stakeholders in attendance at the meeting where such resolution is reached.

“Direct Primaries will among others ensure fairness; create a level playing ground for contestants; eliminate corrupt tendencies usually associated with the delegates system and ultimately ensure full participation of party members at all levels”.

The Special Assistant/Head of Administration Office of the Senate Chief Whip, National Assembly, Barr Emeka Nwala has expressed happiness with the release of the senator representing Abia North, Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu from prison on Tuesday.

He said the people of his Constituency has a lot to gain with Kalu, who is also the Chief Whip as their representative in the Senate.

The Special Assistant/Head of Administration Office of the Senate Chief Whip, National Assembly, Barr Emeka Nwala has expressed happiness with the release of the senator representing Abia North, Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu from prison on Tuesday.

He said the people of his Constituency has a lot to gain with Kalu, who is also the Chief Whip as their representative in the Senate.