All is not well politically between Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State and his predecessor in office, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, the National Chairman of All Progressives Congress (APC).
At the centre of the feud is the direct primaries model approved for the state by the party’s national secretariat to select the APC’s flag-bearers for next year’s general elections.
The move was in contrast to the governor’s preferred choice of consensus or indirect primary for the senate, federal and state House of Assembly.
Although Governor Obaseki who is the godson of Oshiomhole will not be presenting himself for the 2019 elections, since his current four year tenure ends in 2020, a party source said: “As a sitting governor, Obaseki should be allowed to have a say on who flies the party’s flag, especially in his Edo South senatorial district.” It was learnt that having surrendered to the mode of primary, the exercise has been postponed twice by the national secretariat over disagreements between the duo on who picks the party’s tickets in Oredo federal constituency, Edo South Senatorial District and Orhiomwon/Uhunmwode federal constituency seats.
However, the state Publicity Secretary of APC, Chris Azebamwen said the primary was postponed due to logistic hitch of representatives of the NWC for the exercise.
And in what appeared to be a genuine exercise, the party held its primaries yesterday during which the governor expressed gratitude to the organizers for the peaceful conduct and congratulated the winners.
The Edo governor’s euphoria was however cut short following the nullification of the exercise last night by the NWC of the party over what it termed unauthorized primary election.
In a statement by the spokesman of the APC, Mr. Yekini Nabena, the party specifically accused the Edo State Working Committee of complicity adding that: “A primary election committee under the chairmanship of Hajia Farida Suleiman will be in Edo state to conduct the primaries.” A source in the governor’s camp hinted that the state chief executive is considering his next line of action as a result of the stalemate.
