…To strengthen party mechanism for Candidates’ selectionABUJA:
Governors of the ruling All Progressives Congress APC on Saturday night
met via teleconference and agreed to work towards strengthening
internal party mechanisms for the selection of candidates in the Edo and
Ondo Governorship Primaries.
Although a terse statement issued
by the governors under the aegis of Progressive Governors Forum PGF was
silent on the fate of Gov. Godwin Obaseki who was disqualified at the
weekend from participating in the June 22 primary election of the party
in Edo state, a source who was privy to the outcome of the meeting said
there are ongoing engagements to resolve all issues in the Edo and Ondo
state chapters of the party.
The source said: “I know there
are several engagements still ongoing to resolve some of the
controversial steps taken by the APC NWC. We might likely see a reversal
of some of these decisions because the feeling is that NWC does not
have the powers to do some of the things they did regarding Edo. So, the
governors are still engaging with all concerned stakeholders”.
However,
the governors in their resolution reached after an emergency
teleconference meeting late Saturday, pledges to work towards the unity
of the party
In a vague Communiqué signed by Chairman of the
Progressive Governors Forum PGF and Governor of Kebbi State, Abubakar
Atiku Bagudu, the governors expressed confidence that the party would
resolve its current challenges and emerge stronger.
According to
the CommuniquĂ©, the participants “unanimously reaffirmed the commitment
of all Progressive Governors to work for the unity of our party;
“Collectively
agreed to work to ensure strengthening fair and democratic internal
party mechanism for the selection of party candidates in all elections,
especially in respect of Edo and Ondo States 2020 Governorship
elections.
“Forum members are confident that the party will resolve all current challenges and emerge stronger”.
The
governors’ position nonetheless, the national leadership of the party
said it has already taken a final position on the matter.
The
National Working Committee NWC of the party had on Saturday night sealed
the fate of Gov. Godwin Obaseki by approving the decisions of the
Screening Committee as well as the Appeal Committee which had earlier
disqualified him from the race.
National Chairman of the party,
Comrade Adams Oshiomhole made the announcement on Saturday night shortly
after a meeting of the NWC.
The party also approved the
expulsion of a governorship aspirant, Hon. Mathew Iduoriyekemwen and the
deputy state chairman of the party in Edo, Kenneth Asakomeh.
The
party’s Appeal Committee had moments before Oshiomhole’s announcement
submitted its own report to the NWC, explaining that it received
complaints from only one of the aspirants.
In its report, the
committee upheld Friday’s decision of the party’s Screening Committee
which disqualified Mr Obaseki from the race.
“It is inconceivable
that the same University will award two certificates with separate
dates for the same graduate. We also find it difficult to vouch for the
authenticity of his NYSC certificate, there is no indication as to where
he served”, the committee held.
Led by Prof. Abubakar Fari,
other members of the appeal committee were Prof. Sadeeque Abba, Barr.
Gbenga Olubajo, Mohammed Idris, Esther Bepeh and Barr. Daniel Bwala who
served as Secretary.
Presenting the report, Fari said, “We looked
at the grounds on which he was disqualified and I would like to say his
disqualification was based on solid grounds.”
“We found the
Screening Committee findings on the other two as justified. In respect
of Mathew, the appeal committee in the course of reviewing the report of
the Screening Committee observed that it failed to make a finding and
draw a conclusion of his prejudicial finding of filing a legal action
against the National Chairman and the party itself. We reached the
conclusion that such conduct runs contrary to Article 21 (D) 5 of the
party’s 2014 Constitution as amended. Having failed to exhaust internal
mechanisms for seeking redress in the party prior to instituting the
action and pursuant to the same provision. As a result of that, we
upheld the decision of the Screening Committee that he should be
disqualified and he is so disqualified by the appeal Committee.”
“The
other candidate whose case we reviewed was that of Governor Godwin
Obaseki. This committee finds that although the screening committee
disqualified Obaseki on the evidence of the documents he presented,
however, the committee did not take into account their contradictions in
the various petitions submitted to the committee against Godwin
Obaseki.
“We take the liberty to highlight these discrepancies.
In the affidavit sworn to by Godwin Obaseki before the High Court Abuja,
he stated under oath that he graduated from the University of Ibadan
with a BA degree in Classical Studies in 1976. However, the University
certificate he attached to his nomination form bears 1979 which is a
material contradiction.
The Prof. Jonathan Ayuba-led Screening
Committee had earlier on Friday disqualified Mr Obaseki, Engr. Chris
Ogiemwonyi and Hon. Matthew Iduoriyekemwen.
Presenting the report
of the committee to the National Working Committee NWC of the party in
Abuja, Prof. Ayuba cited discrepancies in the names and certificates of
the governor. For Ogiemwonyi, the committee also cited discrepancies in
his names while it disqualified Iduoriyekemwen on the grounds that he
instituted a suit against the party without exhausting all mechanisms of
settlement in line with the APC Constitution.
The governor had
immediately disclosed his resolve not to appeal the decision of the
screening committee. In spite of that, the appeal committee said
evidence before it made it to uphold the decision of the screening
panel.
Addressing journalists, Oshiomhole said the NWC reviewed
the reports of the screening and appeal committees, adding that the
decision of both committees were unanimous as none of the members had a
dissenting opinion.
Oshiomhole specifically faulted the governor
for his wilful refusal to inaugurate 14 members-elect of the State House
of Assembly.
The party chairman had at the inauguration of the
committees described them as the High Court and Appeal Court
respectively, stating that the NWC as the Supreme Court has the final
say on the reports of both committees.
Meanwhile, a Governorship
aspirant of the party in Ondo state, Olayide Adelami has condemned what
he described as “a spurious claim by the purported chairman of the All
Progressives Congress, APC in Owo, Sydney Ogunleye”, that he is not a
registered member of the party.
Both Adelami and the incumbent hail from Owo Local Government Area.
The
Adelami Lamilaka Campaign Organization in a statement by Barr. Segun
Ogodo described the allegation as “great balderdash” adding that Chief
Adelami is a financial and card-carrying member of the APC.
He
said; “We duly acknowledge the place of party structures right from the
ward to the national level and are of the belief that they should be
used to promote cohesion rather than bringing members down and
unnecessarily overheating the polity.
“While we would have loved
to get to the field before we disprove the claims of Mr Ogunleye and his
paymasters that Chief Adelami is not known in the APC, we will advise
him to be less economical with the truth on our principal’s membership
status.
“Mr Ogunleye also knows that Chief Adelami as Coordinator
of the Presidential Support Committee for the Buhari/Osinbajo 2019
project worked with party structures and leaders within the Party.
“While
we would have expected Mr Ogunleye to have provided a level playing
field for all aspirants, especially from Owo, the present sing-song
brings many questions to the mind.
“It is unfortunate that Mr
Ogunleye who on different occasions told ward chairmen in Owo local
government to warmly welcome all aspirants, especially Chief Adelami who
he sees as the next governor of the state, would be willing to be a
tool in the hands of desperate and drowning politicians for personal
benefits and enhancement”.
The campaign organization charged the
star governor, Rotimi Akeredolu to rein in his supporters, accusing them
of sponsoring violence in Owo town.
“The unprovoked attacks on
Chief Adelami’s supporters and campaign vehicles in different parts of
Owo local government are well documented and have been reported to
security agencies.
“We reiterate that we are not unaware of the
streaks of falsehoods and evil machination they have lined up against us
in the days ahead, but ours is a campaign based on people-driven
issues, devoid of violence and rumour mongering and falsehood. We will
not be distracted even in the face of intimidation. Our focus is to
rescue our dear sunshine state from the Present personalized government
of the Father, the Wife and the Children in Ondo State.
“We shall
never stoop so low to the level of physical attacks or sponsoring lies
against any aspirant as our principal is a decent and honest man who
sees every other aspirant as members of the same APC family”, Ogodo
added.
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