Breaking: Obaseki Kicks As APC Disqualifies Him From Edo Gov Primary

The All Progressives Congress has declared the Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, and two others ineligible to contest in the July 22 governorship primary election in Edo State as Obaseki says he will not appeal his disqualification.

The Punch reports that the screening committee announced the disqualification while presenting its report to the Adams Oshiomhole-led National Working Committee in Abuja on Friday.

Apart from Obaseki, the two other disqualified aspirants are Chris Ogiemwonyi and Mathew Iduoriyekenwen.

Chairman of the panel, Prof. Jonathan Ayuba, while presenting the report explained that Obaseki was disqualified because the committee could not vouch for the authenticity of the Higher School Certificate he claimed but could not produce.

The committee held that the document he produced only attested to his attendance.

The seven-man screening committee led by Prof. Jonathan Ayuba said the report is conclusive, adding that all members of the panel signed the report.

Ayuba said the committee was thorough in the process of conducting the exercise, adding that the process was recorded and the unedited recording will be made available to the party.

I Won’t Appeal My Disqualification- Obaseki

Meanwhile, Governor Obaseki has said that he will not appeal his disqualification from participating in the governorship primaries of the APC.

The governor in a statement by his media aide, Crusoe Osagie, said it was needless filing an appeal when the National Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole, had carefully orchestrated the move from the beginning.
While calling on his supporters to be calm, he urged them to wait for further directives.

“We have watched the mockery of democratic process, which Comrade Adams Oshiomhole is administering and superintending over in our great party the All Progressives Congress (APC). It has been an unfortunate, disheartening and dreadful spectacle.

“We had initially asserted that going by the open display and enthronement of illegality by one man in the party that comprises several organs and eminent personalities, there is no way that Governor Godwin Obaseki would get a fair assessment in the run-up to the nomination of candidates to fly the flag of the party in the forthcoming Edo gubernatorial election.

“It is unfortunate that this open show of shame, illegality and travesty of justice is the brand of democracy which Comrade Oshiomhole has reduced the APC into. The situation is quite saddening because this is a party supposedly reputed for change, equity and social justice.

“We have therefore decided that it would be effort in futility to appeal whatever the unjust outcome of the evaluation and screening process of the APC will be, especially when Comrade Oshiomhole has declared that he is the Supreme Court and ultimate determiner of the fate and future of our great party.

“We wish Oshiomhole luck in his maladministration of the party and trust that the Almighty will help our country to find the path to true liberty, freedom and justice. We call on all party members and the teeming supporters of Governor Obaseki to remain calm and await further directives.”