No going back on direct primary in Edo, defiant Oshiomhole insists after meeting with governors

The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Adams Oshiomhole, on Monday, insisted that direct primary as approved by the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) for the Edo State governorship election, was the only option.

Oshiomhole, who disclosed this at a media briefing shortly after meeting with APC Governors’ Forum led by Kebbi State Governor, Abubakar Bagudu, at the party’s National Secretariat in Abuja, said the party’s NWC was yet to discuss and decide on the mode of primaries for the Ondo State governorship election.

The governors, it was believed, had met him at the behest of Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State, who had been having a running battle with the party chairman.

Oshiomhole and the wing of the party loyal to him in the state had since thrown their weight behind Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu. And with today’s development, it appears the die is cast.

APC will hold its governorship primaries for Edo and Ondo states on June 22 and July 20 respectively.

However, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has fixed September and October 10 for the governorship election in the two states.

Oshiomhole said: “We have since published our time table because under the law, we are required to give Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) at least 21 days notice to monitor our primaries.

“And to state the mode of our primaries and of course NWC had approved direct primaries for Edo.

“That of Ondo has not been discussed because that will come much later, because Edo will come about three weeks before Ondo.”

The former Edo State governor said the party had begun the sale of expression of interest and nomination forms, adding that other processes had also been going on smoothly.

“We have commenced the sale of forms, I think as of last Friday to my knowledge three people had picked the forms.

“I think by today more people have picked the forms. So, we are selling forms to all those who wish to buy based on the guidelines.

“And of course as the Chairman of the Progressives Governors’ Forum rightly said, we have ensured in our letter to INEC and even this morning we had a virtual meeting with INEC leadership.

“We will conduct primaries taking into account the protocols on COVID-19 by the Presidential Task Force (PTF) and Nigeria Commission for Disease Control (NCDC). I think everything has been going fine,” he added.