Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, the National Chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), has pledged that the party will ensure a transparent, equitable, and credible primary election on February 17, preceding the September 21 governorship election in Edo State,Daily Trust reports.
Ganduje made this commitment during the inauguration of the party’s screening committee, chaired by former Minister of Sports and Special Duties, Prof. Taoheed Adedoja, in Abuja on Thursday.
Twelve aspirants are vying for the party’s ticket ahead of the election, all of whom have obtained and submitted their expression of interest and nomination forms. Among them are Gen. Charles Airhiavbere (rtd), former Director of Finance and Administration at the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC); Col. David Imuse (rtd), former Chairman of APC in Edo State; Gideon Ikhine, a businessman; Prince Clem Agba, former Minister of State, National Economic Planning; Senator Monday Okpebholo, representing Edo Central; Lucky Imasuen, former Deputy Governor; Osagie Ize-Iyamu, former gubernatorial candidate; and Anamero Dekeri, lawmaker representing Etsako federal constituency.
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Others include Prof. Oserhiemen Osunbor, former Governor of Edo State; Blessing Agbohmere, former APC South-South Zonal Organizing Secretary; Dennis Idahosa, member of the House of Representatives; Ernest Afolabi, immediate past Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security; and Emmanuel Momoh.
Ganduje, represented by APC National Organizing Secretary Alhaji Suleiman Arugungu, appointed Smart Iheazor as the secretary of the appeal committee. He urged the five-man screening committee to uphold transparency and fairness throughout the process, emphasizing that screening of party aspirants for all elections is a constitutional mandate.
He stated, “Please, rest assured that we have taken measures to ensure that the exercise (primary election) will proceed smoothly and seamlessly with the assistance of a Secretariat Support Team personally led by myself. Furthermore, our party’s constitution emphasizes equity and the restoration of rights, which is why it includes provisions for a screening appeal committee. This enables aggrieved aspirants who may have been screened out by the screening committee to seek appellate intervention from the screening appeal committee.”
Prof. Taoheed Adedoja, Chairman of the screening committee, expressed gratitude to the party’s leadership for the opportunity to serve, assuring that the committee would adhere strictly to the party’s constitution.
