TELL Magazine

As the stakes get higher with the release of a revised time-table for the governorship election in Edo State by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, a youth group within the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, has enumerated the qualities expected of the man to fly the flag of the party ahead of its primary election scheduled for between June and July 2020. The group, Concern APC Youth, CAY, in Edo Central senatorial district of the state in a press release on Saturday which was jointly signed by Itua Otoide and John Isesele, called for a fair and just process in arriving at a consensus candidate that would represent the true spirit and ethos of the party. A faction of the party loyal to the national chairman of the party, Adams Oshiomhole had resolved to pick a consensus aspirant from amongst the five leading aspirants in the camp who would challenge incumbent governor, Godwin Obaseki at the party’s primary election

The group pleaded with the leadership of the party to save the party from further disintegration should it allow the process to be skewed in favor of a particular aspirant as allegedly witnessed in the botched controversial primaries held penultimate week in Benin City. The body said the challenge before the screening committee in the search for a consensus candidate was to consider the integrity, antecedence and public service of all the aspirants seeking the party’s ticket.

The youths who met in Irrua, believed the cap fits Ogiemwonyi and therefore appealed to the leadership of the party to settle for the former minister of state for works as the consensus candidate. They hinged their support for him on his sterling qualities and accomplishments in the public sector which they considered these qualities as assets to anyone seeking to occupy the number one seat of power in the state. They insisted that for any candidate to defeat the incumbent, such a candidate must be a “sellable, accessible, prudent and a loyal party faithful with impeccable character” adding that “As concerned members of the APC, we are compelled to speak out at this point of deciding who emerges as our candidate. Among all the aspirants, Ogiemwonyi is the only aspirant that can represent all the interests in the party”.

The body believed that his emergence would put an end to the in-fighting and horse-trading in Oshiomhole’s camp. “We also strongly believe that it is time for the party to begin to reward loyal and committed members of the party. This will go a long way to foster unity and strengthen the APC in the state”.