Edo primary: APC governors in last gasp effort to save Obaseki

By OBINNA EZUGWU

Governors of the All Progressive Congress (APC) under the aegis of Progressive Governors Forum have stepped in, amid the ongoing crisis in Edo State that chapter of the party that has pitted the State governor, Godwin Obaseki against his predecessor and National Chairman of the party, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, with a view to nipping plots by the latter to oust the former from office in the bud.

It is a rift that has since divided the Edo APC into two factions, with one faction, consisting of the various party leaders in the state who fell out with the governor over his refusal to patronise them with contracts, loyal to Oshiomhole, while the other faction consisting mainly of appointees of the governor and state party members, loyal to the incumbent chief executive.

Oshiomhole who has since picked Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2016 governorship election who he encouraged to join the ruling party late last year, as his choice candidate (Ize-Iyamu emerged consensus candidate of the chairman’s faction), is evidently plotting to use his influence as National Chairman to ensure he emerges candidate in the June 22 primary, and is said to be backed in the quest by his ally, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, former Lagos State governor and acclaimed National Leader of the party.

And while Obaseki who controls the party structure in the state is holding his own, insisting that it is not the Oshiomhole led National Working Committee (NWC) in Abuja that would organise primary in Edo, his colleague governors have stepped in to try and save the day.

The NWC had since opted for direct primary, thinking it perhaps to be more favourable to the quest to oust Obaseki, while the state chapter of the party chaired by Anselm Ojezua is insisting on indirect primary.

The governor himself, had, regardless, in an interview last week, said he cared little about whether it would be indirect or direct primary as, according to him, he was certain to emerge candidate irrespective of the mode.

Eight of the governors on Sunday, including Obaseki met behind closed door with Tinubu in Lagos with a view to bringing the crisis to an end, as well as deliberate on the rising tension in the Ondo State APC, which like Edo, will be holding governorship election later this year with incumbent governor, Rotimi Akeredolu seeking second term of office.

Obaseki’s spokesperson, Crusoe Osagie, who confirmed the meeting with Tinubu to online medium, Premium Times, said they were having consultations “ahead of the coming elections in Edo State.”

Osagie noted that the rift between the governor and Oshiomhole must have topped the discussions at the meeting as “everybody knows that Oshiomhole has been at dagger-drawn with the governor for almost a year and half now.”

In the meantime, there are reports of plot by the Oshiomhole camp to screen the governor out of the primary altogether.

But on the other hand, cracks are also emerging in the Oshiomohle camp with other governorship hopefuls, notably former governor, Pious Odubu opposing the adoption of Ize-Iyamu as consensus candidate. Odubu is said to be insisting that the former PDP candidate is not a registered member of the APC.