The incumbent governor of Edo State, Godwin Obaseki may be schemed out of getting the All Progressives Congress (APC) ticket for the September 19, 2020 governorship election in the state.
It is understood that Obaseki may be disqualified from participating in the primaries by the screening committee set up by the national leadership of the party.
A source within the party disclosed that some groups within the APC have accused Obaseki of lacking some original certificates that are considered requisite to obtaining the party ticket.
The source added that the national leadership is keen to avoid a repeat of what happened in Bayelsa State where the Supreme Court nullified the victory of David Lyon, the governor-elect, on the grounds that his running mate, Senator Biobarakumo Degi-Eremienyo, presented forged certificates to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
According to him, Governor Obaseki may be disqualified from participating in the primaries by the screening committee put in place by the national leadership of the party.
“The national chairman and his group want to use some lack of original certificates to disqualify Governor Godwin Obaseki at the screening.
“If they succeed, the implication is that the governor may not even participate in the primary, whether direct or indirect,” the source said as quoted by Daily Independent.
However, it was further revealed that the Obaseki camp is also not leaving anything to chance as they have activated their own plans to ensure Obaseki gets the APC ticket and returns for a second term in office as the Edo State governor.
“The Obaseki group are also spoiling for war. They will soon be releasing documents from when Oshiomhole was governor to nail him, how he was moving monies around.
“Already, they are circulating videos of all the negative things Oshiomhole said about Ize-Iyamu during the 2016 governorship election and how he is unfit to rule the state,” he said.
Meanwhile, as previously reported by Naija News, some APC governors have met with the National Leader of the ruling party, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The meeting, which is believed to be connected to last-minute efforts to ensure Obaseki clinches the party’s ticket for the forthcoming governorship election in the state and the mode of primaries to be adopted.
“Yes, the APC governors, led by Kebbi State governor, Atiku Bagudu, met with Asiwaju Tinubu behind closed doors yesterday. I saw them but I don’t know what was discussed at the meeting,” a source told our correspondent.
It should also be recalled that the faction of the APC in Edo State loyal to APC National Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole have adopted Osagie Ize-Iyamu as its consensus candidate for the party’s primaries in Edo State.
Ize-Iyamu has made further progress by obtaining his expression of interest and nomination forms at the party’s national secretariat in Abuja.
source https://www.naijanews.com/2020/06/01/edo-2020-why-obaseki-may-be-denied-apc-ticket-by-partys-nwc/
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