A former governor of Ekiti State and ex-chairman of the Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF), Dr. Kayode Fayemi, has commended the Abdullahi Ganduje-led National Working Committee (MWC) of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the decision to cancel and reschedule the controversial gubernatorial primaries in Edo State.
He said this decision had restored the confidence of members of the Edo State chapter of the party in a fair, impartial, and transparent exercise and showed that the APC is interested in producing a popular candidate.
Fayemi also applauded the president and leader of the party, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu for not interfering and allowing due process on the issue of the APC gubernatorial primaries in Edo State.
“I wish to thank the President for allowing the party to function independently on this sensitive issue and thus assure our teeming members in Edo State that the process for the gubernatorial primaries will be free, fair, and transparent,’’ he said.
Fayemi, however, condemned the questionable role of Senator Adams Oshiomhole, a former governor of the state and national chairman of the APC, in the truncation of the initial exercise.
He recalled that Oshiomhole had also played a disruptive role in the last gubernatorial election in Edo State, which ultimately made the APC lose the state to the opposition.
“Ideally, as a leader, he should have ensured a level playing field for all the aspirants but he was trying to impose a candidate in a manner that‘s not free and fair, ‘’ he said.
Fayemi added: ‘’Earlier, Oshiomhole had attempted to eliminate some aspirants from contesting in the primaries and failed. This is reminiscent of his high-handedness as national chairman when he manipulatively schemed Governor Godwin Obaseki out of the electoral process. That action led to the unfortunate loss of Edo State by the APC.
„It would appear the ground was being prepared by Oshiomhole yet again for the APC to lose the coming election in Edo State because of his unconscionable behaviour. However, the party has demonstrated independence and impartiality in cancelling and reordering the primaries.
‘’We hope the fresh primaries will now take place in an atmosphere deemed free and fair by all, for the sake of our great party.
‘’Oshiomhole may decide to support any of the aspirants if he chooses not to be neutral but the process must be open, free, and transparent, following the laid down rules. My interest is the APC and the party must put its best foot forward in the forthcoming elections,’’ he said.
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