30th January, 2024
By Emmanuel Oloniruha
Deputy governor Philip Shaibu and former Chairman of Sterling Bank, Mr Asue Ighodalo were among 10 aspirant cleared for participation in the Edo governorship primary of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, scheduled for 22 February.
The eight others cleared for participation in the primary are former Rep. Omoregie Ogbeide-Ihama; and a former chairman of Esan West Local Government Area, Mr Felix Akhabue, former Chairman of the Edo chapter of the All Progressives Congress, Mr Anslem Ojezua, former Rep. Omosede Igbinedion; Mr Arthur Esene, Prof. Martin Uhomoibhi and Mr Osaro Onaiwu.
The 11th aspirant, Mr Balogun Sunday, failed to appear for screening, the PDP National Organising Secretary, Mr Umar Bature, told journalists on Tuesday in Abuja.
He said that the aspirants had been presented with the party’s Provisional Clearance Certificate at the PDP National headquarters in Abuja.
Meanwhile, the PDP has promised to ensure that the Edo governorship primary election will be free, fair and credible.
Gov. Caleb Mutfwang of Plateau and the chairman of the screening committee for the primaries, stated this when he addressed PDP aspirants at the National Headquarters, Wadata House in Abuja.
“We appreciate the concerns that you all have expressed in asking for a level playing field; we are going to be strong advocate of that.
“We will ensure that at the end of the day we have a process that is transparent, a process that is fair because I am a beneficiary of that process.
“We will ensure that when all is said and done, we will still work together as one big family,” Mutfwang said.
The Edo Deputy Governor, Mr Philip Shaibu, who spoke on behalf of the aspirants, promised to play by rules.
Also speaking, another aspirant, Mr Osaro Onaiwu, said that the PDP must strive hard to win the Edo governorship election.
Onaiwu, a former Director-General of the PDP Governors’ Forum, said that with the right thing being done all the aspirants would support whoever emerged as the party’s candidate for the election.
“Winning Edo is a priority to the party, wining Edo is a must win for PDP; we cannot allow Edo to slip into the hands of the opposition.
“I have told everyone to drop their ego and support whoever emerges as the PDP candidate for Edo state as long as the process is free, fair and transparent,” Onaiwu said.
He also stressed the need for the PDP to have a reward system for loyal members who had been with it regardless of the storm.
“For instance, I founded the PDP Governor’s forum, so what is my reward and how will you compensate me for holding down the party.
“Will I just sit down and allow people who don’t know the meaning of PDP to come and rule? People who do not know what the PDP stands for?
“We must build our party; we have been in opposition since 2015 because we always import people into our party.
“People who are using PDP as a vehicle to get to their destination, as soon as they get there, they forget the vehicle,’’ he said.
He added: “So, we are preaching let them start to build the party through faithful party members.
“Nobody should control the party, but we need faithful party members to go to the senate, become governors and even the president.”
The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC had fixed September 2024 for the Edo governorship election.