Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, said he was not sure he would get justice from the panel set up to screen him and other aspirants contesting for the ticket to represent the All Progressives Congress (APC) at the gubernatorial election.
“The last time I came here, I asked that National Chairman Adams Oshiomhole should recuse himself from the process in the interest of peace and justice. But as a party man, I have had to go through the screening like everybody else.
Governor Obaseki insinuated that Mr. Oshiomhole could be the reason why he would not get a fair screening.
“Since he is the judge and the jury in this matter, I will just wait for the outcome of the screening. I have given them all the information they need; the controversial certificate from the University of Ibadan has been tendered.
“Like I said, as a party man, I have endured through the screening process but I do not believe that I will get justice because Comrade Adams is an interested party in the Edo process.”
Mr Oshiomhole had expressed doubt over the authenticity of Governor Obaseki’s certificate from the University of Ibadan. He demanded that the screening panel got verification from the university. The University of Ibadan later confirmed that the governor’s certificate was genuine.
According to the Nation, quoting Mr Obaseki: “One of the questions that was asked was why did I issue a gazette that will prevent the party from performing direct elections in Edo. That did I not see it as an anti-party activity? I just felt that if we put politics above the lives of the people of Edo State, that we may be missing the point.”
The West African Pilot News reports that the Governor and the National Chairman had been at loggerheads in the build-up to screening over the form of primary election to adopt. While Governor Obaseki favours indirect primary, Comrade Oshimhole wants direct primary.
Political observers say the fight over which primary election to adopt may be to avoid or allow the ‘Lagos situation’ — where former Governor Ambode lost the APC ticket to Babajide Sanwo-Olu, thereby killing his second tenure ambition. Some say that Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, insisted on direct primary to deal with Mr Ambode over a disagreement.
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