Last minute moves by the presidency on Monday to save the re-election bid of Governor Godwin Obaseki has hit the rock as the All Progressive Congress, APC, has vowed to continue with the June 22 direct primary in Edo State.
Party chairman Adams Oshiomhole led the National Working Committee in a meeting with Professor Ibrahim Gambari, Chief of Staff to President Muhammadu Buhari Monday evening but the chairman, briefing the press after meeting proclaimed that APC would go ahead with the direct primary insisting that the exclusion of the incumbent Governor Obaseki from gubernatorial primary remained irrevocable.
He also expressed optimism that it would be free, fair and transparent, adding that a candidate that can unify the party in state will emerge.
Governor Obaseki’s disqualification by the screening panel was affirmed by the appeal panel and National Working Committee (NWC) of the party at the weekend.
Oshiomhole said: “We’ve gone a long way: we’ve advertised the timetable, there was the stage of collection of forms and about six people collected forms. In that time table, we also provided for screening and we also provided for appeals arising from the screening.
“This is standard practice that the NWC has adopted since 2015 and in the case of Edo, we have completed the process of selling forms, we have also completed the process of screening, we have completed the process of appeals arising from the screening by those who wish to take advantage and the NWC has met and has reviewed the report of the screening committee and we were unanimous that the screening was thoroughly done and found that three people were eligible to contest, with regards to the provisions of our Constitution.