Edo Guber: Tension in Benin as 12 APC Battle By Lola Seriki- Idahosa,

As Edo governorship primary of the All Progressives
Congress, APC holds today for 12 aspirants.
Governor Adams Oshiomole’s candidate, Godwin
Obasaki, who is rumoured to be in control of no
fewer than 930 delegates, is favoured to clinch
the ticket.
He is said to enjoy endorsement from the group
Edo in Safe Hands led by the state
Commissioner of Works, Osarodion Ogie.
In today’s exercise, 2,873 delegates drawn 12
each from 192 wards in Edo State are expected
to vote at the primary that will be contested by
12 aspirants. Others are local government
delegates, 26 persons each from the 18 local
government areas.
Also, there are the state executive delegates,
35, and statutory delegates, 66, totalling 2,873
delegates in all, according to the convention
committee.
The candidates are Mr. Blessing Agbomhere;
Maj.-Gen. Charles Airhiavbere; Prof. Fredrick
Amadasun; Rep. Emmanuel Arigbe-Osula; Mr
Austin Emuan and Mr Peter Esele.
Others are: Mr. Kenneth Imansuangbon, Mr.
Godwin Obaseki, Mrs. Agbarha Justina, Mr.
Christopher Ogiemwonyi; Prof. Oserheimen
Osunbor and the incumbent deputy governor,
Mr. Pius Odubu.
The Chibudum Nwuche-led seven-member
committee successfully screened all candidates.
It would be recalled that Washington Osifo, who
led the group that endorsed Obasaki had said
that they acknowledged the fact that all the
aspirants contesting under the APC are
eminently qualified but they believed Obaseki
had the best credential to continue the good
works of the Governor Oshiomhole-led
administration.
“At a time like this, taking into cognisance the
dwindling resources accruing to our dear state,
we need a seasoned economist, manager, and
technocrat with proven economic managerial
ability coupled with the required political
exposure to effectively steer the ship of our
dear state, so as to sustain, improve and build
on the legacies of the Oshiomhole
administration.
“We appeal to other delegates to the Edo State
2016 APC governorship primaries to embrace,
support and vote our adopted aspirant,
Obaseki.”
However, members of the APC and delegates in
today’s governorship primaries staged a protest
in Benin City against what they described as the
forceful and illegal collection of their Permanent
Voters Cards, PVCs.
Addressing jourrnalists under the aegis of
Concerned Edo Progressives, they expressed
shock at the mopping up of PVCs from
delegates across the three senatorial districts
alleging that the PVCs were being collected on
behalf of an aspirant claim to be acting on the
request of the state government.
In a protest letter signed by Okoh John and
addressed to President Muhammadu Buhari;
APC National Chairman, Chief John Odigie-
Oyegun; National Security Adviser, NSA; the
Inspector General of Police and the Director
General, Department of State Services, DSS,
read in part: “It has become necessary to bring
this ugly situation to your attention because
these agents that are collecting the PVCs on
behalf of one of the aspirants claim to be acting
on the request of Edo State government
officials.
“We cannot reconcile the interest of Edo State
Government in the forceful collection of PVCs
with the internal democracy of APC. This
situation has already created high tension
among the members of APC in particular and
Edo public in general.