Ahead of Thursday’s completion of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Primary Election for Edo State, Edo APC Elders Stakeholders Forum has commended President Bola Tinubu and the leadership of the party for replacing Governor Hope Uzodimma with Governor Bassey Otu of Cross Rivers State as Chairman of the Primary Election committee.
The elders in statement on Wednesday, by the chairman, Matthew Omoregie and Stephen Aigbe, Secretary General, decried last weekend’s primaries, which were supervised by the Uzodimma, noting that it was flawed in many ways.
Commending the swift intervention of the leadership of the party and the rescheduling of the primaries, the elders advised the new chairman of the primary election, Governor Otu to remain steadfast to the tenets of true democracy, so that his name will remain on the fair side of history.
The forum said: “During a similar primary when the people were denied the opportunity to choose their candidate, the process was hijacked and a candidate was imposed on the party by the erstwhile Governor Adams Oshiomhole.
“After winning the election, the imposed candidate (now Governor Godwin Obaseki) took party members through hell from 2016 and decamped to PDP in 2020.”
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The forum pledged its support for President Tinubu and his administration, and urged the party leadership and the NWC “to ensure that democracy wins in Edo State as the party picks its governorship candidate for the September 2024, governorship election.”
The forum assured the party of victory in the September governorship election only if a candidate was not imposed on the party, saying, “Party members across the state have developed strong feelings against anti-democratic practices because of their bitter experience of the past.”
Recall that following the violence that marred the primary election in Benin City last weekend, the APC leadership rescheduled the exercise to today, to complete the process.
Last weekend, Governor Uzodinma had declared Dennis Idahosa as winner of the primary election while the APC Returning Officer, Stanley Ugboaja announced that Senator Monday Okpebholo won the race.
The criticisms generated by the announcement of Idahosa as winner by Governor Uzodinma led have pitched many party followers against former Governor Oshiomhole, whom they accused of imposing the candidate on the party
