...Says most circulating information are untrue
Kingsley Abavo (Managing Editor), Benin
Ahead of its approaching Party Governorship election primary, the All Progressives Congress (APC) Edo State has denied most information in circulation about recent happenings in the Party, as either half truths or outrightly untrue.
The information about a certain committee said to be at the instance of Adams Oshiomhole, which allegedly disqualified many aspirants has caused
raging tension threatening cohesion in the fold.
Reacting, on Tuesday, 23 January, 2024 in Benin, the State Capital the Party through its image maker, Peter Enosoregbe Uwadiae Igbinigie Esq. briefed the media to put in proper perspective the happenings.
It was to eliminate the rumour, innuendos and the misinformation that have been spread in the media, Uwadiae said.
"For instance, we have had a lot of unsubstantiated news which of course did not come from our Party!"
As he asserts; "the APC in Edo State have been one Party loved by many; we have become the bride of Edo people and because of that there have been upsurge in the number of aspirants who are willing and ready to fly the flag of the Party."
He revealed that no less than 29 aspirants are on the Party's platform and it is still counting!
True reflection of happenings
"Due to the high number of aspirants and the timetable having been released, the National Working Committee of the Party had to interface with the stakeholders in Edo so that we can manage the situation flowing from the high number of aspirants.
The meeting was held in Abuja at the instance of the national Chairman, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje on Monday last week at the national secretariat.
The aim of that meeting was to advise, solicit and encourage the aspirants for considering the need for there to be a reduction in the number of aspirants that we have; jostling for the sole Governorship ticket of the Party.
The national advised that the State stakeholders should meet with the aspirants and interface with them, appeal to their conscience especially those who know that they may not be able to wheather the storm of flying the flag of the Party.
Based on that, in the wisdom of our leader; Comrade Senator Adams Oshiomhole there was now a need to have a committee to look at the credentials of the persons who are jostling for the Party's ticket.
A six member committee headed by Prof. Julius Ihonvbere was put in place by the Party's caucus.
That committee met with all the aspirants, spoke with them, and looked at their credentials and the need obviously for some of them to drop their aspiration.
That committee came up with a report advising the Party of the need to be a talking relationship between the leaders of the Party, and the aspirants particularly those they found within their terms of reference are not very much ready or do not have the capacity to fly the flag of the Party.
And their report first narrowed the number to 10 and there was consequent meeting that reduced the number to about six, and that information instigated rumour, innuendos especially those who are not favoured and that created a kind of tension within the Party.
However, the national advised that the caucus should meet these people, appeal to them so that those who are willing to drop their aspiration, should do so.
So the national came up with a statement that the forms are readily now available for purchase by members who feels they meet not only the constitutional requirements of 1999 as amended, but also the electoral Act and constitution of the Party.
At that point, anybody and everybody who feels is qualified should purchase the form.
The sales of form is ongoing and in line with the Constitution of the Party, after the closure of form purchase, we will now know the aspirants who are actually ready to determine who gets the ticket, Uwadiae said.
Continuing, he explained; "By the timetable, there will be a committee inherently provided for by the Party's constitution to be set up by the National Working Committee to screen the aspirants who purchased the Party's form.
As it is today, the talk with aspirants is still ongoing. The Party's leadership met and is talking to them with view to making some of them to drop their aspiration. It is an appeal to their conscience!
So the information flying in town that some persons have been disqualified unjustifiably, do not represent the true story.
The true position now is that the national working committee has invited all those interested to vying for the Party's ticket to come buy the form; expression of interest form and the nomination form.
The expression of interest form is N10m and the nomination form is N40m.
It is only at this point that an aspirant is ready and qualified to participate in the Party's Governorship election primary.
I want to appeal to members of the Party not to be agitated, to drop the anxiety as there is a mechanism of the Party to deal with issues of this nature. It has happened before, and we were able to come out triumphantly from it.
Down playing the raging tension, Uwadiae asserts; "you will expect to have this type of agitation when the APC is the Party to beat because there is this belief that whoever gets the ticket of the Party automatically becomes the Governor of the State.
So we are appealing to members of the APC to remain calm as the leaders of our Party are talking to the aspirants and they have been very qualified and robust members of the Party, they understands the intricacies that are inherent in this kind of situation.
So the Party is working out modalities to avoid implosion within; Uwadiae said adding that at the end of the day, they would come out more united, go into the election and expect victory.
So, we are appealing to our members, our teeming supporters to remain calm. It is not enough to listen to misinformation, believe in innuendos and rumour.
Today, those who are jostling for the position are seeing reasons why they may not have to go buy form, not to cause division in the Party, he said.
"Though some of them may also want to try their popularity but at the end of the day, we remain one united family."
Uwadiae however appeals to the media to try verify information from appropriate authority of the Party before going to publish, and shun rumour particularly on the social media.
We want to thank members of the APC for the high level of discipline they have exhibited this far!
Soliciting its sustenance, he urged they shun any act that is capable of smearing the image of the Party in the eye of the public.
As he assured that the APC will continue to abide by the statutory dictates of the subsisting laws.
Responding to a question from journalists, Uwadiae admitted that the Prof. Ihonvbere's committee was only an advisory at the instance of the APC caucus based on the advise of the national body.
"It has no statutory power to screen aspirants except a committee set up by the National Working body of the Party."
As the Party fear that there may be implosion if the huge number of aspirants were allowed to go into its primary, he indicated.
"Its report was mere recommendation and not to stop anyone who so desires; to go ahead with his or her aspiration," Uwadiae explained.
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