National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Adams Oshiomole, has insisted that the June 22 Edo State governorship primary would be conducted through direct mode.
He made the clarification after a meeting with the National Working Committee (NWC) of the APC with some governors elected on the platform that lasted for over three hours.
Oshimhole said: “The 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.”
He described as mere rumour, the disagreement on the format of the primary for the Edo governorship election, stating, “You are speculating, I don’t have any letter or document to that effect. These are very formal matters. So stop spreading rumours.
“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.
“We have commenced the sale of forms, 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’re 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 we will conduct primaries taking into account the protocols on Covid-19 by the PTF and NCDC. I think everything has been going fine.
On the Ondo governorship primary, the party chair said: “That of Ondo has not been discussed because that will come much later because Edo will come about three weeks before Ondo.”
But the chairman gave a tacit endorsement of Governor Rotimi Akeredolu’s second term bid, noting the governor has done well.
Chairman of the Progressive Governors Forum and Kebbi Governor, Atiku Bagudu, who attended meeting with the National Leader of the party, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, on Sunday in Lagos, said that the meeting with NWC was to discuss some sundry issues with the party leadership.
“This meeting was not a continuation of yesterday’s (Lagos) meeting. This 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,” Gov. Bagudu disclosed.
Governors present at the meeting include Bagudu; Simon Lalong (Plateau); Babagide Sanwo-Olu (Lagos); Mohammed Inuwa (Gombe); Umar Ganduje (Kano) and Olurotimi Akeredolu (Ondo).
