•Parties in last-minute rush to compile registers

•Governors stick with Obaseki, Odubu adamant

By Lanre Adewole
Two weeks to the much-anticipated primary of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Edo State, national party chieftains are worried the ruling party in the state may end up gifting the governorship election to the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), as major power interests deepen their strife over who should be the standard-bearer.

Already, the national leader, Senator Bola Tinubu, has given solid backing to the national chairman, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole on direct mode for the conduct of the party primary slated for June 22.

The embattled governor, Godwin Obaseki, is believed to be at a disadvantage going into a direct primary that would be conducted by the national leadership headed by his erstwhile godfather and now bitterest foe, Oshiomhole.

A top party source, however, told Sunday Tribune at the weekend that it would be too early to write the governor off in a direct primary, considering the reported resolve of his colleagues elected on the platform of the party to see to it that one of their own is not humiliated.

The APC Governors Forum has been at the forefront of getting the national leadership to provide the embattled governor, as well as his counterpart-governor in Ondo, Mr Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, with a fighting chance, through indirect primary. But Oshiomhole has been adamant.

What could pass for a battle line is now said to have been drawn between Oshiomhole and the self-styled progressive governors.

A source who is close to both the party chairman and some of the APC governors disclosed that the chairman had foreclosed the fact that he would need the support of the majority of the governors. According to the source, Oshiomhole believed that since he would not need the support of most of the governors again, there was no reason to consider their request this time.

That disclosure foreclosed the possibility of the former Edo governor and new APC strongman, seeking a second term in office at the expiration of his running tenure in 2022.

The silence from Aso Rock is, however, said to be a major worry for those seeking Obaseki’s scalp and despite not publicly endorsing any of the aspirants contesting on APC’s platform for the Edo ticket, there is a concern in Oshiomhole’s camp that the president may force their hands at the last minute, due to the influence of some powerful interests in the North, particularly a powerful businessman who is seen as Aso Rock’s darling and a known ally of Obaseki. Even those close to the party’s top echelons confided in Sunday Tribune that Tinubu warned some of those thick in the plot to stop Obaseki to be wary of the Presidential Villa. “Don’t trust those people” the APC national chieftain was said to have intoned of Aso Rock.

Tinubu’s position is also seen as throwing a direct challenge at the APC governors who would be major actors in deciding who gets the party’s presidential ticket for the 2023 poll.

The source agreed that the Edo imbroglio is further souring the relationship between the national leader and the governors.

It was learnt that the party membership registers demanded by INEC for the conduct of the primary elections in Edo and Ondo states are now being hurriedly put together and the compositions and contents could become another source of partisan litigation in days ahead.



The party, under the chairmanship of John Odigie-Oyegun, had attempted a computerised membership registration, but the exercise was caught in allegations and counter-allegations of fraud and deliberate exemption.

Sunday Tribune however learnt that the hurdle would be surmounted and the Edo register would get to the election umpire in good time, though it could not be established which of the two factions in the state would be favoured as the authentic party representatives.

Beyond the national politics of the governorship poll, the state local politics is reportedly giving the Oshiomhole’s camp, early jitters.

The camp is said to be shifting away from Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu due to his increasingly poor perception even among his Bini people, who are said to be more disposed to returning the governor, also a Bini.

The Bini, with the highest voting population in the state, are said to be united against Oshiomhole and the party chairman is reportedly aware of the groundswell of opposition against him, compelling his forced support for only the aspirants from the largest ethnic grouping.

But his earlier choice of Ize-Iyamu as a replacement for Obaseki appears to have run into a hitch with his choice said to have been greatly damaged by him when they were in opposing parties.

In 2016, when Ize-Iyamu was the candidate of the PDP, running against Obaseki, then Oshiomhole’s anointed, the APC chairman’s damaging allegations against Ize-Iyamu as the Secretary to the State Government in the administration of former Governor Lucky Igbinedion, were everywhere. Even the videos of them are now all over the social media

Those unflattering words are now being used against both Oshiomhole and his newly-found political heartthrob, Ize-Iyamu.

The reported decision of the Oshiomhole camp to look elsewhere for a battle-axe aspirant against Obaseki is also said to be meeting another brick wall.

Oshiomhole’s deputy when he was governor, Pius Odubu, is reportedly adamant, claimimg he can’t be overlooked again for another aspirant following the reported withdrawal of class-support for Ize-Iyamu.

Odubu was by-passed for Obaseki in 2016 and his appointment to the juicy NDDC was shortlived, due to intra-party clash among the heavyweights from the South-South zone.

PDP’s primary election is slated for the day after the ruling party’s and there are also calculations a last-minute intrigue could play out despite denials of planned defections.

Despite the 24-hour difference which appears to make last-minute jump impossible, a similar scenario had played out in Benue State in 2015 when the incumbent governor, Samuel Ortom, was denied the ticket of the Peoples Democratic Party and had to move to APC within a day where he emerged the candidate.

Ortom went on to win the election but later returned to PDP, on whose platform he returned to the Government House in 2019.



…PDP yet to submit membership registers

As the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) concludes its screening of candidates for the Edo and Ondo states’ governorship primaries, attention has shifted to the party’s preparedness to mobilise its members for the race in both states.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had already informed parties which would want to use the direct primaries to elect their standard-bearers to submit their registers to the commission.

Chairman of the commission, Professor Mahmud Yaqub, who made the request said: “I wish to appeal to political parties that opt for direct primaries to avail us the registers of their members to be used for the election from ward to local government area and state levels for effective discharge of our monitoring responsibilities under the law.”

Although the PDP did not state that it is opting for direct primaries in either of the states, it is not clear if the party has submitted its membership registers to the commission as requested.

The National Publicity Secretary of the party, Kola Ologbondiyan, who spoke to Sunday Tribune over the matter said he would need an update from the party’s national organising secretary.

“I will find out from national organising secretary of the party today,” he said.

However, further calls made to him to get the outcome of the enquiry were not successful.

https://tribuneonlineng.com/edo-apc-weighs-options-fears-pdp-takeover/

lalasticlala

Oshiomole should have learnt a lesson by now

PDP are wiating to capitalize on their weak point

Let's watch

Pdp can't take over Edo state

I dey laugh

The present political imbroglio in Edo State is really a ding dong affair for the APC if not handled carefully will set the state on fire.Of course, nothing like governance till after the guber election.

Binikingdowm:
Pdp can't take over Edo state

PDP can take over if Obaseki looses the APC ticket. Mark my word .

bluebay:

PDP can take over if Obaseki looses the APC ticket. Mark my word .

you don't know Edo state

Ok

Binikingdowm:
you don't know Edo state

The Edo wey I Dey? I don’t think you listening to the people’s voice. They totally against God Father system . PDP got Edo covered . You’ll be surprised

Binikingdowm:
Pdp can't take over Edo state

PDP has always been strong in Edo. they even won the last election if not for oshomole rigging

PDP stands a chance if APC continues this way, refusing to come to common ground with their acts...

PDP just dey smile right now.. hehehe..

Please check my signature..

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Good morning. Do have a blessed Sunday.

The only thing that can save Obaseki now is the judiciary.

He is going to use court injunctions to thwart every move of Oshiomole's and the APC NWC.
Like many governor's have their state judiciaries in their wallets.

A few days to the primaries a Benin high court is going to make an order stopping any gathering of more than 20 people based on the state Gazette.

Edo will end up like their sister Rivers.

oshiomole is on his way to destroy the party


















...and as a good Christian that I am, I pray he succeeds.

It's just one move...


Which ever side lose this fight will have his political career killed in the state.

..

Just like joke, internal problem may consume edo Apc

y

These people don't care about anyone nor anything except their personal agendas. If u think oshiomole and obaseki are weighing anything cos of the party, u are wasting ur time. APC are conglomerate of thieves and vagabond who only interest is to rule and loot. The best Edo people can do is to vote them out and accept another options or else there will be war ahead and after the election. We Nigeria need to take our destiny into our hands and stop these cancerworms parading themselves as politicians.

APC oh PDP oh the same thing.
different toilets the same soaker way

Binikingdowm:
you don't know Edo state

Have you forgotten hastily what happened in Rivers and Zamfara States

Edo will fall to PDP if care is not taken. The best thing now is to stop rocking the ship of Obaseki and allow him sail smoothly.

Oshiomhole is an unscrupulous spoiler and not fit for modern day politics

Oshomole no get papa

Binikingdowm:
you don't know Edo state

u wey know Edo state carry on

Mark my word I see PDP winning both EDO And OnDo
If u check APC has not focused any attention to OnDo

PDP ll take apc by suprise

That's if rigging lord oshiom-ole decide not to ring

One thing I know for sure is that Obaseki will not go down easy just like Ambode. This is going to be interesting.

who cares if PDP is the next governor there as long as they remove that ingrate comot government house.Nonsense

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If this writer was not ignorant he would've known that pdp are not going to submit membership register because they're doing indirect primary. So what is to be submitted in their own case is delegate list. Most of these newspapers in Nigeria are quacks.

Wetin consign me for Edo wahala. Is the Governor perform so well or Osho stopped him from putting infrastructure in places?
Nobody talk of the guy performance, it is always Osho vs Obaseki blabla things

That imp never see anything.

I've been taking screenshots of everyone's comments and leanings on this artificial self-serving imbroglio. When the time comes, people like Tinubu will be reminded of the benefits of direct primaries.

I trust Obaseki. If it goes against you and you see no sense in defecting to PDP at the last minute, ensure the PDP candidate is your person, and be sure to expend the State's finances and resources to give him victory.

Una eye go clear well well.

Bastards.

ddippset:
The only thing that can save Obaseki now is the judiciary.

He is going to use court injunctions to thwart every move of Oshiomole's and the APC NWC.
Like many governor's have their state judiciaries in their wallets.

A few days to the primaries a Benin high court is going to make an order stopping any gathering of more than 20 people based on the state Gazette.

Edo will end up like their sister Rivers.

They're monitoring him very closely with planted insiders. He has tried twice to get exparte order but each time it's amazing to find defendants lawyers in the court. They'll announce presence and demand to be served and the injunction is dead. Let's see how it all ends.