The national
chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, has
insisted that the party will conduct the forthcoming governorship primary in
Edo state using direct primary.
Oshiomole stated
this after a closed-door meeting with seven governors of the party, a
continuation of efforts to resolve all disputes ahead of the forthcoming
primary election of the party in the state.
Speaking after a
closed-door meeting Governor Atiku Bagudu of Kebbi State, who led the governors
told newsmen that Oshiomohle said governor Godwin Obaseki did not reject the
direct primary officially.
Meanwhile, according
to Vanguard, sources disclosed that Obaseki did not agree with the national
chairman of the mode of the primary.
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).
Some of the governors
including Obaseki had on Sunday night reportedly met in Lagos with Sanwo-Olu
and a national leader of the party, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Aside Oshiomhole,
the National Organizing Secretary of the party, Emma Ibediro, National Vice
Chairman Northeast, Mustapha Salihu Acting National Secretary, Arc. Waziri
Bulama and others are at the parley.
Addressing
journalists after the meeting, Oshiomhole said the party leadership had a “very
helpful conversation” with the governors.
He said; “We had a
very helpful conversation, you know it is one APC, there are no two APC, so
interacting and interfacing with our Governors is something that is part of our
tradition, it is not something we have just invented and today’s discussion was
particularly helpful.
“So, we are very
grateful to the chairman and members of the Progressive Governors Forum who
have come all the way. What binds us together is so strong that Coronavirus can
not put asunder”.
Speaking on the mode
of the primary, Oshiomole said, “we have since published our time table because
under the law, we are required to give INEC at least 21 days notice to monitor
our primaries and to State, the mode of our primaries and of course NWC had
approved direct primaries for Edo. That of Ondo has not been discussed because
that will come much later. Edo will come about three weeks before Ondo.
“We have commenced
the sale of forms, and I think as of last Friday to my knowledge three people
had picked the forms. I think by today more people have picked the forms. So we
are selling forms to all those who wish to buy based on the guidelines and of
course as the Chairman of the Progressives Governors rightly said, we have
ensured in our letter to INEC and even this morning we had a virtual meeting
with INEC leadership, and we will conduct primaries taking into account the
protocols on COVID-19 by the PTF and NCDC. I think everything has been going
fine.
“You know that
governors are assets to our party and once a candidate emerges, we all work and
ensure that we do our best to persuade the people in the respective States to
favour us with their votes, and I am sure that by the special grace of God, the
Ondo Governor is here, he did well and the electorate are more sophisticated
now; so we have no fear about that.
“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 nothing to worry about at all”.
Asked to confirm
whether he had received a letter from the Edo governor stating his preference
for Indirect Primary, Oshiomhole said; “You are speculating, I don’t have any
letter or document to that effect. These are very formal matters. So, let us
not spread rumours”.
Chairman of the PFG
and Governor of Kebbi State, Atiku Bagudu said: “the meeting between the
national leadership of our party with the Progressives Governors Forum was to
discuss issues that have piled up especially between March 14th when the forum
last met and agreed to meet with the national working committee under the able
leadership of Comrade Adams Aliyu Oshiomhole to discuss issues of interest to
our party”.
“Within the
intervening period, many things have happened. We had a virtual conference
where we commiserated with Mr President because of the challenges caused by the
COVID-19 situation. We also undertook that the delegation will visit Lagos to
express sympathies with the Lagos people and our colleague for the able
leadership he has provided.
“We met with
Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and also met with our national leader, Asiwaju Bola
Ahmed Tinubu to discuss the developments in the polity particularly as they
affect our party. So, yes, a delegation was in Lagos but this meeting was not a
continuation of yesterday’s (Lagos) meeting. This is a meeting with the
national leadership of our party to discuss issues between the Governor’s Forum
and party leadership that will lead to the progress of our party.
“On Edo, Ondo
elections, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has rolled out
a time table and the national chairman is in a better position to speak on
that”, he stated.
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