BusinessDay 04 Feb 2018
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Sunday <strong>04</strong> <strong>Feb</strong>ruary <strong>2018</strong><br />
C002D5556<br />
BD SUNDAY 17<br />
Politics<br />
ward chairmen as a sole candidate.<br />
The resolution for the endorsement dated<br />
January 9, <strong>2018</strong> was allegedly signed by Lucky<br />
Imaseun, former deputy governor of the state;<br />
Gentleman Amegor, APC Edo South senatorial<br />
leader; Crosby Eribo, leader of APC in Egor and<br />
member, House of Assembly; Paul Ohonbamu,<br />
commissioner for Information and Orientation;<br />
Osion Olaye, deputy leader, APC in Egor; Benjamin<br />
Omoregieva Egor Local Government Area<br />
chairman and all ward chairmen.<br />
Governor Godwin Obaseki; Secretary to the<br />
State Government, Osarodion Ogie; Special Adviser<br />
to the governor on political matters, Osaro<br />
Idah; and Chairman, APC, Edo state, Anselm<br />
Ojezua were all copied in the resolution.<br />
But in the space of two weeks, the endorsement<br />
of Izevbuwa was reversed in favour<br />
of Eghe Ogbemudia, the daughter of the late<br />
Samuel Ogbemudia, who was two-time governor<br />
of the defunct Midwest and Bendel state.<br />
The endorsement of Ogbemudia came to the<br />
fore on January 24, during the primary elections<br />
at the party’s secretariat in Egor, when<br />
Lucky Imaseun read a six-point resolution<br />
endorsing her.<br />
He stated that after deliberations it was resolved<br />
that by the adoption of Eghe Ogbemudia,<br />
as APC candidate for Egor, the issue of official<br />
government council candidacy has been perpetually<br />
put to rest, and listed those who signed<br />
the resolution.<br />
The endorsement however, did not go down<br />
well with Efe Stewart, one of the aspirants who<br />
insisted that there must be primary election<br />
based on open-secret-ballot.<br />
Stewart’s rejection of the leaders’ decision<br />
resulted in a free-for-all in which he was beaten<br />
and his suit torn by suspected loyalists of the<br />
party in the locality, before he was whisked<br />
away by officials of the State Security Service.<br />
Anti-mobile policemen from the Ogida Divisional<br />
Headquarters and those from Okhoro<br />
division were drafted to the scene to forestall<br />
further breakdown of law and order.<br />
Speaking with newsmen, Stewart said the<br />
party leaders in the locality were out to deny<br />
him the right to contest the party primary<br />
because he openly spoke against selection, imposition<br />
and consensus.<br />
“I am a chairmanship aspirant. This is my<br />
nomination form. I also applied to contest in this<br />
chairmanship primary election in the Egor local<br />
government council, but, surprisingly<br />
when I got here, the local government<br />
APC secretariat, venue of the primary<br />
election, the leaders of the party in the<br />
local government were telling me different<br />
stories.<br />
“I thought as an aspirant, I should be<br />
carried along. That we should adhere<br />
strictly to the constitution of the party by<br />
getting ourselves involved in the primary<br />
by way of open-secret-ballot as stated<br />
in the party’s constitution. But, I was<br />
If she defeats me, so be<br />
it, I will work with her.<br />
But I am surprised that<br />
the same democracy<br />
that brought this government<br />
into power<br />
today is not being practised.<br />
That is why I am<br />
totally embarrassed<br />
surprised that they want to deny me the<br />
right to contest the primary.<br />
“They are now calling for my arrest.<br />
They want to use government machineries<br />
or apparatus to oppose me. But, I am<br />
going to cry out for the whole world, that<br />
my fundamental right is being violated<br />
for coming out to participate in an electoral<br />
process. I am ready to pursue this<br />
matter to a logical conclusion because it<br />
is my right.<br />
“I have been a member of this party<br />
for the past 12 years. But my only sin<br />
was saying that we should go to the field<br />
and contest and not by imposition. They<br />
have directed that the person of Eghe<br />
Ogbemudia should be the candidate of the<br />
party at the end of the day. They are not<br />
disputing that fact but I am insisting that<br />
there should be primary election.<br />
“If she defeats me, so be it, I will work<br />
with her. But I am surprised that the same<br />
democracy that brought this government<br />
into power today is not being practised.<br />
That is why I am totally embarrassed,” he<br />
lamented.<br />
The hullabaloo that greeted the primary<br />
was not only limited to Egor Local<br />
Government. In Owan East Local Government<br />
Area, party members held parallel<br />
primaries resulting in the emergence of<br />
two chairmanship candidates.<br />
The primary, which was attended by<br />
delegates from 10 wards in the locality,<br />
held in Afuze, the administrative headquarters<br />
of the council, produced Victor<br />
Ohionsumua, while the one which held<br />
at Warrake attended by only one ward<br />
produced Andrew Osigwe.<br />
The leaders accused the state deputy<br />
governor, Philip Shaibu of purportedly<br />
hijacking the Owan East Local Government<br />
Area primary election.<br />
According to them, Emmanuel Agbale,<br />
commissioner for Science and Technology,<br />
the returning officer of the council,<br />
never visited the venue but instead he, in<br />
company of Philip Shaibu went to Warrake<br />
ward 11, to declare Andrew Osigwe<br />
the winner with only the vote of ward<br />
11, Warrake.<br />
They further said that councillors from<br />
ward 1 to 10 who were also duly nominated<br />
have their names replaced by the<br />
purported Warrake primary conducted<br />
by the commissioner and the deputy<br />
governor.<br />
They however, urged the leadership<br />
of the party in the state to put an end to<br />
undemocratic practices allegedly perpetuated<br />
by the deputy governor before<br />
the party is immersed in serious crisis,<br />
noting that impunity must not be allowed<br />
to stand.<br />
In Esan West Local Government, the<br />
primary could not hold as aspirants failed<br />
to come to a compromise to settle for one<br />
candidate. This resulted in the matter<br />
being referred to the state secretariat for<br />
the leadership to resolve.