Adams Oshiomhole, national chairman of the All Progressives
Congress (APC), informed INEC that the party had agreed to choose its
governorship candidate for the Edo election through direct primary, even before
the national working committee of the party took the decision.
The NWC, headed by Oshiomhole, reached the decision on May
22 but Oshiomhole had written to Mahmood Yakubu, INEC chairman, three days
earlier.
In the letter dated May 19, Oshiomhole
said the party had agreed that direct primary would be conducted in 192 wards.
“I convey to you my compliments and wish to respectfully
inform you that the All Progressives Congress (APC) has decided to conduct
direct primary for the Edo state governorship election on Monday, 22 of June.
2020,” the letter read.
“To this end we have put in place modalities to ensure
strict compliance with the COVID-19 prevention guidelines as announced by the COVID-19
presidential task force (PTF) and the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control
(NCDC).
“Therefore, direct primaries will be conducted in one
hundred and ninety two wards (192).
“We accordingly invite you as observers of the primaries
with full compliance with the All Progressives Congress constitution and the
electoral act.”
In a direct primary election, all card-carrying members of
the party from local government areas of the state will be eligible to vote for
the candidate of their choice but indirect primary involves selected delegates.
Many governors prefer indirect primary as they can easily
sway the delegates to their side.
Although six aspirants have indicated interest in the
primary election, the race is between Godwin Obaseki, the governor, and Osagie
Ize-Iyamu, who is believed to have the backing of Oshiomhole.
Obaseki has been at loggerheads with Oshiomhole, and this
has divided the party in the state.
Oshiomhole’s faction had picked Osagie Ize-Iyamu who
defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the heat of the crisis
between Obaseki and the APC national chairman.
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