Six governorship aspirants in All Progressives Congress (APC) Edo State, gunning for the party’s Governorship ticket on Wednesday returned their expression of interest and nomination forms for the party’s Governorship primary slated for June 22nd.
Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu was the first to submit on Monday and former Chairman, Oredo Local Government Area (LGA), Hon. Osaro Obaze returned his nomination form on Tuesday evening.
The incumbent governor, Godwin Obaseki led the pack on Wednesday to submit while Dr. Pius Odubu, a former Deputy Governor in the state, Mr. Matthew Iduoriyekemwe, a two-term Majority Leader, Edo State House of Assembly and former Edo State representative in the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and former Minister of State for Works, Mr. Chris Ogiemwonyi took turn to return their forms.
The National Organising Secretary, Barrister Emma Ibidiro received the nomination forms from the aspirants on behalf of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party.
Meanwhile, the embattled Governor of Edo State, Godwin Obaseki on Wednesday after submitting his nomination form asked the National Chairman of the party, Comrade Adams Oshiomole to stay clear from the party’s governorship primary slated for June 22 .
Obaseki said, “I call on Comrade Oshiomhole to recluse himself from the Edo nomination process because he is an interest party. It is against natural justice for a man to be a judge in his own case. So I think the honourable thing to do is to recluse himself and lets have a free process and lets reconcile and build our party.
“On a final note, I am actively pursuing peace, actively pursuing harmony in our party, particularly at home and I believe that there will be peace.”
The governor also denied betraying Oshiomohle who brought him to power in 2016, rather, the governor, said the National Chairman was “a bigger betrayer”.
“In life everybody get helped, everybody get assisted. The person you talked about (Oshiomhole) had no money when he left Labour to contest. We knew what we did to make him Governor. I sacrificed eight years of my life to serve Edo State Probono, I collected no Kobo to serve him (Oshiomhole) in Edo”.
The governor also debunked reports that he has equally obtained the nomination form of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
According to him, “It is very asurd. I am someone that is very exposed. How can I collect form from two parties when we have rulings in past disqualifying people on that. I am a party man to the core. APC is my party because I come from a progressive political family. I believe in the ideals of APC.
“I believe in our President, I believe in what he stands for so I am a party man to the core. I am not an old styed politician. I represent a new direction of politics that is based on facts and truth not lies”.
Another aspirant, Matthew Iduoriyekemwe, who spoke with newsmen after submitting his nomination form tacitly confirmed the rumour making round that he was working for Obaseki when he said he was in the race because the party denied the incumbent the right of first refusal.
The former Majority leader of the Edo State House of Assembly who said he will build on the present infrastructure in the state, expressed his preference for indirect mode of primary at the June 22 party primary.
Also another aspirant Chris Ogiemwonyi, a former Minister of State Works, who said the state needs “a governor who has empathy, love and could care for the people”, promised to give prime attention to insecurity, unemployment, poor healthcare and poverty if given the party’s ticket.
The Nation
