The National Working Committee (NWC) of the All
Progressives Congress (APC) has reaffirmed that
Mr Godwin Obaseki remained the party’s
candidate for the Sept. 10 governorship poll in
Edo.

This followed the NWC’s adoption of the report of
the party’s Appeals Committee on the
governorship primary election conducted in Benin
on June 18.

This is contained in a statement in Abuja on
Monday by the party’s National Secretary, Alhaji
Mai Buni.

The three-member Appeal Committee submitted
its report to the National Chairman of the party,
Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, on June 29 in Abuja.
”The Appeal Committee in its report submitted
that the Edo State 2016 APC governorship primary
was valid.

”While not dismissing the seriousness of the
allegations and claims of the petitioners, the
issues raised were not compelling as to warrant
the cancellation of the primary.

”The Appeal Committee calls on all APC
stakeholders in Edo State to put the party’s
interest over and above personal interests in
ensuring a speedy and amicable reconciliation,”
the statement said.

It stated that the committee recommended that
the leadership of the party should adopt
diplomacy in reconciling stakeholders in Edo.
It added that the committee also recommended
that a high-powered committee should be
constituted to mediate between Gov. Adams
Oshiomhole and all the aspirants, who participated
in the primary election.

The Election Appeal Committee was chaired by Mr
Opeyemi Bamidele, with Alhaji Mustapha Salisu
and Mrs Ekwy Onyido as members.

The committee had said that it received petitions
from Mr Kenneth Imansuagbon and Mr Chris
Ogiemwonyi, two out of the 11 aspirants who lost
to Obaseki in the primary.

The committee sat from June 21 through June 28.
Meanwhile, the National Chairman of the All
Progressives Congress (APC), Chief John Odigie-
Oyegun, has congratulated Mr Godwin Obaseki for
emerging as the party’s candidate for the Sept. 10
governorship election in Edo.

Odigie-Oyegun urged party members to close
ranks and support the candidate in the lead-up to
the election.

“As the party prepares for the governorship
election in Edo, I call on all aspirants, party
leaders, stakeholders and teeming members of
our great party to close ranks and unite as a
strong political fighting force.

“We should unite behind the candidature of Mr
Godwin Obaseki for a landslide victory at the
election.

“The request by the aspirants was that the primary
should be transparent, free, fair and credible. This,
the party achieved creditably during the exercise.
“Going forward, we should avoid `triumphantist’
actions and avoid creating new stresses within the
party. We should all seek to reunify the party to
face the Sept. 10 election,” he said.

The chairman also congratulated Katsina State
Governor, Alhaji Aminu Masari-led seven-member
Primary Election Committee “for successfully
conducting a very transparent, free, fair and
credible governorship primaries’’.

Similarly, he thanked the Primary Appeals
Committee for successfully carrying out its
assignment and submitting a report. (NAN)


dailypost.ng/2016/07/11/edo-2016-primary-appeal-committee-upholds-obaseki-as-apc-candidate/

....

.

OLD