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Romanus Ugwu, Abuja
The All Progressives Congress (APC)on Friday disqualified the incumbent governor of Edo state, Godwin Obaseki, and two other aspirants from contesting the party’s June 22 primaries.
The panel further announced that while Pastor Ize-Iyamu, Pius Odubu and Osaro Obazee are qualified to contest, Matthew Aigbuhuenze Iduoriyekemwen and Chris Ogiemwonyi are disqualified from the contest.
Governor Obaseki had told newsmen after appearing before the screening committee that he was not sure of getting justice from the Comrade Adams Oshiomhole-led National Working Committee (NWC), urging him to recluse himself from the Edo nomination process as an interested party.
Looking very subdued, the embattled governor said: “The last time I came here, I asked that Oshiomhole recluse himself from the process in the interest of peace and justice. But as a party man, I have had to go through the screening like everybody else.
“Since he is the judge and the jury in this matter, I will just wait for the outcome of the screening. I have given them all the information they need; the controversial certificate from the University of Ibadan has been tendered.
“Like I said, as a party man I have to go through the screening process but I do not believe that I will get justice because Comrade Adams Oshiomhole is an interested party in the Edo process.
“One of the questions that was asked was why did I issue a gazette that will prevent the party from performing direct elections in Edo. That, did I not see it as an anti party activity? I just felt that if we put politics above the the lives of the people of Edo State, then we may be missing the point,” he lamented.
However, addressing newsmen while receiving the report at the party’s national secretariat, the Chairman of the Screening committee, Prof Jonathan Ayuba, hinged the disqualification on defective certificate.
Defending the reason for his disqualification, the committee which gave clean bill of health to other aspirants said that disqualification is based on certificate and age discrepancies
Speaking while presenting the report, the Chairman said: “The job is difficult because it came at the most difficult times in the history of our democracy. We were thorough in our work. We want to be judged by what we have done not party politics. We went beyond screening but didn’t investigate much. Our report should be based on the fact we presented, not on assumptions. We finished on Thursday but left it till today which has become democracy Day.
The panel further announced that while Pastor Ize-Iyamu, Pius Odubu and Osaro Obazee are qualified to contest, Matthew Aigbuhuenze Iduoriyekemwen and Chris Ogiemwonyi are disqualified from the contest.
Governor Obaseki had told newsmen after appearing before the screening committee that he was not sure of getting justice from the Comrade Adams Oshiomhole-led National Working Committee (NWC), urging him to recluse himself from the Edo nomination process as an interested party.
Looking very subdued, the embattled governor said: “The last time I came here, I asked that Oshiomhole recluse himself from the process in the interest of peace and justice. But as a party man, I have had to go through the screening like everybody else.
“Since he is the judge and the jury in this matter, I will just wait for the outcome of the screening. I have given them all the information they need; the controversial certificate from the University of Ibadan has been tendered.
“Like I said, as a party man I have to go through the screening process but I do not believe that I will get justice because Comrade Adams Oshiomhole is an interested party in the Edo process.
“One of the questions that was asked was why did I issue a gazette that will prevent the party from performing direct elections in Edo. That, did I not see it as an anti party activity? I just felt that if we put politics above the the lives of the people of Edo State, then we may be missing the point,” he lamented.
However, addressing newsmen while receiving the report at the party’s national secretariat, the Chairman of the Screening committee, Prof Jonathan Ayuba, hinged the disqualification on defective certificate.
Defending the reason for his disqualification, the committee which gave clean bill of health to other aspirants said that disqualification is based on certificate and age discrepancies
Speaking while presenting the report, the Chairman said: “The job is difficult because it came at the most difficult times in the history of our democracy. We were thorough in our work. We want to be judged by what we have done not party politics. We went beyond screening but didn’t investigate much. Our report should be based on the fact we presented, not on assumptions. We finished on Thursday but left it till today which has become democracy Day.
