Following his disqualification by the All Progressives Congress, there are indications that the embattled Governor of Edo State, Mr Godwin Obaseki, may consider running on the platform of another poli
tical party to realise his second-term ambition,The screening committee of the party, headed by Prof Jonathan Ayuba, while presenting the committee’s report to the party’s National Working Committee, said the governor was disqualified from participating in the party’s June 22 primary because of the discrepancies in his names and certificates and for taking the party to court in contravention of the party’s rules.
Authoritative sources close to the leadership of the party however said the governor might be considering joining the PDP given that it is the only party that has the structure both in the state and at the national level. Ortom, who was then having a running battle with his political godfather, Senator George Akume, was received by the PDP when the former governor allegedly used his connection with the national leadership of the APC to deny Ortom the party’s ticket.
“The PDP ticket is not won on the pages of newspapers. Our members decide who will be their governors or representatives,” he added. He told one of our correspondents, “We are open to anyone, including Obaseki, The party is open to him and anyone who wants to join. Mind you, it is not all the members of the party who are interested in contesting election. Therefore, membership does not mean interest. We will welcome Obaseki with open hands, just the way we do for other.”While submitting the report of the screening to Oshiomhole, Ayuba said the report was conclusive.
Giving details of Obaseki’s disqualification, the panel chairman said, “Though His Excellency, Godwin Obaseki, in his nomination form claimed to have obtained a Higher School Certificate from an Institute of Continuing Education, Benin. It was observed however, that no educational certificate such as HSC is known in Nigerian educational system. Even then, the same HSC was never presented in the course of the screening exercise. The aspirant admitted that he has never collected it.
“In our interaction with issues raised, we concluded that HSC was defective, the NYSC certificate and based on the party’s constitution, this has made us to recommend that Obaseki is not eligible to participate in the election.”While receiving the report on behalf of the APC NWC, Oshiomhole expressed gratitude to the panel and urged all those who were unsatisfied with the report to approach the appeals panel.
The Special Adviser to the Governor on Media and Communication Strategy, Crusoe Osagie, in a statement said, “We have watched the mockery of the democratic process which Mr Adams Oshiomhole is administering and superintending over in our great party, the All Progressives Congress. Another aide to Obaseki confirmed to one of our correspondents that the governor would “certainly” contest the forthcoming elections, but declined commenting on the platform he would use.
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