Obaseki may head to PDP as APC disqualifies him, two others from primary

The All Progressives Congress today, declared the Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, and two others ineligible to contest in the July 22 governorship primary election in Edo State. The screening committee announced the disqualification while presenting its report to the Adams Oshiomhole-led National Working Committee in Abuja on Friday.

Apart from Obaseki, the two other disqualified aspirants are Chris Ogiemwonyi and Mathew Iduoriyekenwen. Chairman of the panel, Prof. Jonathan Ayuba, while presenting the report explained that Obaseki was disqualified because the committee could not vouch for the authenticity of the Higher School Certificate he claimed but could not produce. The committee held that the document he produced only attested to his attendance.

The seven-man screening committee led by Ayuba said the report is conclusive, adding that all members of the panel signed the report. Ayuba said the committee was thorough in the process of conducting the exercise, adding that the process was recorded and the unedited recording would be made available to the party.

At the screening process, which held in Abuja on Friday, Ize Iyamu who bore the flag of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2015 election was cleared alongside four other candidates.

Meanwhile, Obaseki not only denounced his disqualification, he says he will not appeal the outcome of the screening process as it would be futile to appeal the outcome. This, he said, is because Adams Oshiomhole, the party chairman, has “declared that he is the supreme court and ultimate determiner of the fate and future of our great party”.

His supporters also say that he will be heading to PDP. The PDP won the last presidential election in Edo state and Obaseki’s supporters now say he will win the gubernatorial election as candidate of the party following the well-choreographed disqualification, he suffered at the hands of the APC’s screening committee.

The leader of one of Obaseki’s support groups told a reporter that given that the APC has not found wanting in the discharge of the job for which he was elected and has not been accused of mismanaging the funds of the state, we are asking him to go to the PDP to actualise his ambition for a second term because the people of Edo state want him to continue as their governor.

Oshiomhole has had a running battle with his successor and many now believe he has been using his hold on the party at the national level to advance his fight with Obaseki.