National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC),Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, at the weekend presented Certificate of Return to his party standard-bearer, Senator Monday Okpebholo, who won the party ticket at the primary for Edo state governorship election fixed for September.
The Senator representing Edo Central defeated his main rival, Honourable Dennis Idahosa.
Cross Rivers State Governor, Bassey Otu submitted the report of the seven man election primary which he chaired.
Ganduje in his speech, justified the conduct of a fresh process as he explained the circumstances which informed his National Working Committee (NWC) stance to declare the process held last weekend as inconclusive .
He also explained why Imo State Governor, Senator Hope Uzodinnma who was chairman of the panel could not return to Benin city to preside over the fresh process.
He said: “Three Aspirants were declared as “candidates” That process was not concluded and I asked the Committee to go back. Coincidentally, the chairman of the Committee had a presentation to make at the National Economic Council and that’s why he could not go back to conclude the exercise. That was why his deputy, Governor of Cross Rivers State became the new chairman.I am happy to tell you that as we directed, as we monitored, the Direct Primaries took place in 192 wards. We have the record, the results were collated in each local government and the results are with us. “The results were announced after collation. As a result, Senator Okpebholo scored the highest votes and therefore declared the winner.
“Some of the aspirants came forward to congratulate him. Those who couldn’t, from the report ,we heard, they also called his line.”
The APC National Chairman said the party was determined to win Edo state and expressed the confidence that it would attain the feat with Senator Okpebholo whom he described as a sellable, refined product.
“What is important to us is to win Edo state. We knew what happened in the past, but now we are in the way to win that election, because we believe that we have a product that is sellable, we have a product that is refined, we have a product that is well packaged, a product that we can deliver. “
Speaking shortly after collecting Certificate of Return, the APC candidate who commended the APC NWC for conducting a transparent process, assured that he would initiate a reconciliation process to guarantee support of the aggrieved aspirants.
He said: “With every sense of humility, I want to appreciate God Almighty and thank our dear President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu for walking the talk and renewing the hope of Edo people by practically defending democracy today as he has always done all his life.
“My great respect goes to our party National Chairman and the indefatigable team of the National Working Committee, our political leaders in Edo State led by Comrade Senator Adams Oshiomhole who have piloted the affairs of our great party, the APC through thick and thin.
“Today, the APC family in Edo State has made a bold statement by choosing Good over evil, development over inanities and love over hate. It has been clear to every discerning mind that Edo State has gone on the wrong path of development with the elitist style of governance with little regard to reality. The journey to resetting our dear State by strengthening her heartbeat with actionable development begins today by reposing confidence in me as the flag bearer of our great party,the APC.
“I shall leverage on the collective strength of all of us and the passion for a greater Edo. I am humbly requesting all my brothers and sisters who contested the primaries with me, to put the contest behind and join me in the challenging task of making Edo State heart beat again with development across the broad spectrum of human endeavour.
“This journey of meaningful development has no respect for tribal and ethnic inclinations nor religious calculations. It is about building Edo by Edo people.
“I will immediately embark on a visitation to our political leaders and my co- contestants for unity of purpose. We are all in it together and by God’s grace our great Party APC will return to Osadebe Avenue come November this year.
“With due reverence to God and great respect to humanity, I hereby accept my nomination as the flag bearer of our great party, the All Progressives Congress. To God be the glory.”
One of the aspirants who accompanied Senator Okpebholo to the APC national secretariat, Lucky Imasuen, corroborated his claim that the process that produced the former as standard-bearer was free, fair and credible.
He said:” I want to thank the APC national chairman, Ganduje, that Edo APC is wearing a new face. The election conducted was free and fair. Yes, we are all qualified to fly the ticket but the best has won. All of us have chosen the best man for this job and we assure that all of us will work together. You have given us a stainless candidate.”
There was however a mild drama , as one of the aspirants, Honourable Dennis Idahosa stormed the party national secretariat to submit a petition to the Appeal panel.
Idahosa who won last weekend’s process declared inconclusive by the Ganduje-led NWC, told newsmen that he would seek legal redress if the party proceeded to submit Senator Okpebholo’s name to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Idahosa said: “I am not here to make trouble, I am a lawmaker but one thing that we want is justice. Today, I might be a young man but it might be the children of NWC members tomorrow. We have to do the right thing, if we continue to do what is wrong as a country, we are not going to move forward.
“So I am calling on Mr. President to call NWC to order. Elections were held on the 17th of February. What they did on the 22nd was just selection. I challenged one of the LGA returning officers to give me, show me a picture of him in the Local government headquarters where he said he collated the results and he was just blabbing, there was nothing because I know that they were in the same hotel in Benin, that’s where they wrote all the results.
“So my fellow party members, I am not here to make trouble, I am only here to seek justice, whatever they have done, if it is not properly managed, I have written yesterday to the appeal panel committee and I know they will do justice, even if whatever they did, I just want to go through the process, having exhausted the party’s resolve mechanism, I will go further, I will seek justice in the court of law and I will not allow this to stand.”
