5th November, 2014
Jethro Ibileke/Benin
Ahead of the 2015 general elections in Edo state, a combined figure of about 302 aspirants have so far picked nomination forms on platform of the two major political parties in the state, namely, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and All Progressives Congress (APC) in Edo to contest for 36 parliamentary seats available in the state in the 2015 general elections.
A breakdown of nomination forms obtained by aspirants indicates that nine persons are gunning for the three senate tickets in the APC primaries, just as 11 aspirants, including a woman, will jostle for the tickets in the PDP.
On the other hand, 30 contenders have emerged for the nine tickets to the House of Representatives’ seats in APC, against the 41 aspirants who have indicated their interest on the platform of the PDP.
Similarly, for the state assembly elections, 117 aspirants have picked forms under the APC, while 94 contenders will vie for tickets under the PDP.
Edo state Chairman of the APC, Anselm Ojezua, while commenting on the development, attributed the high number of aspirants seeking to contest on the platform of the party to its popularity among the people of the state.
He explained that APC would organise a meeting comprising all the party organs at which the aspirants would be sensitised on the guidelines for the party primaries to ensure fairness.
“We are actually going to have a meeting with the all the party organs in the state and the aspirants where we brief them on the guidelines and the timetable for the exercise. The rules are very clear and we have assured them that we are going to have a transparent process,” Ojezua said.
He revealed that the party had a gender sensitive policy which it had demonstrated through the 15 women who had secured their nomination without paying fees.
Also speaking in the same vein, the State Chairman of PDP, Chief Dan Orbih, described the figure as a reflection of the rising profile of the party against the ruling APC. He expressed confidence in the party’s ability to file credible candidates for all the available positions in the elections.
“It is the outcome of our conscious effort that has brought that figure. It is also good for democracy and it will afford the members of the party opportunity to choose from the many people who have indicated interest to contest on that platform,” he said.