The Edo All Progressives Congress (APC) Elders and Stakeholders’ Forum have called on the party leadership to ensure a transparent primary for the selection of a credible governorship candidate in the upcoming September poll. This appeal comes following the replacement of Governor Hope Uzodinma with his Cross River State counterpart, Bassey Out, as the chairman of the Committee for the Edo State Governorship Party Primary by the national leadership of the APC.
In a statement signed by chairman Matthew Omoregie and secretary Stephen Aigbe, the forum commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the APC leadership for appointing Out to supervise the election. However, they advised against the imposition of any candidate on the state, emphasizing the importance of a fair and democratic process.
The forum expressed dissatisfaction with the primary supervised by Uzodinma last weekend, which was subsequently canceled by the party hierarchy. Acknowledging the swift intervention of the party leadership and the rescheduling of the primary, the elders urged Out to adhere to the principles of true democracy, ensuring his name remains on the fair side of history.
Additionally, the group reminded Tinubu of a similar incident in 2016 when the primary process was hijacked, and a candidate was imposed on the party by the then-Governor Adams Oshiomhole. The imposed candidate, Governor Godwin Obaseki, later defected to the PDP in 2020. The elders urged caution against a repeat of such practices, emphasizing the need for a democratic and participatory process in choosing the party’s candidate.
While pledging their support for President Tinubu and his administration, the elders urged the party leadership and the National Working Committee (NWC) to ensure that democracy prevails in Edo state during the selection of the governorship candidate for the September 2024 election. The group emphasized that victory in the election is contingent on avoiding the imposition of a candidate, as party members in the state strongly oppose anti-democratic practices based on past experiences.
