fergie001:

That's the mistake we always do. Shifting blames from who should get it.

Why should Oshiomhole had granted him a waiver, and now turn around to act all nice. Giadom has not been your friend, why not say NO.

Unfortunately for Giadom, the said waiver has no legs to stand in APC constitution. He can't take it to court to enforce it. APC constitution only makes provision for a waiver in case of a new or a returning party member seeking to contest in an election, like in Samuel Ortom , Ize-Iyamu and Obaseki's cases. No mention is made of waiver for an executive member who had resigned his position to contest for an elective post seeking to return back to the executive postion, like Giadom had done.

The waiver granted to him was just a gentleman political arrangement initially aimed at reconciling him and Amaechi, his godfather, with the Party.

The new confrontational move by him sent a signal to the party hierachy i.e. NWC that they were not ready for reconciliation, hence the NWC's move to quickly dust his resignation file and ratify it as stipulated by their constitution.

The move by his party's local chapter to give that resignation a judicial flavour is a master stroke that would be impossible for him to dodge.

With a judicial pronouncement affirming his non-membership of the NWC, the podium upon which his Acting Chairmanship status stands has been taking off its feet.

How old is Philip Shaibu himself that he would be presenting an award to someone in 1986. Philip himself was born in 1969 and by 1986 he was just about 17-year old teenager still in a Secondary School trying to find his feet.

According to his biography on wikipedia, Philip Shaibu had his early education at St. Augustine Primary School, Tundu Wada Kaduna but finished at L.E.A Primary School Barnawa, Kaduna State where he obtained the First School Leaving Certificate, Shaibu subsequently earned his West African Senior School Certificate in 1989 after attending Saudana Memorial Secondary School, Kawo Kaduna. Comrade Shaibu received a Bachelor of Science degree (Honours) in Accounting from the University of Jos in 2000

Politics can really make some people go to a ridiculously low level of insanity in trying to discredit their perceived political foe. This is what I have seen happen here.

This video is not recent. The former HOR Deputy Speaker made this statement as far back as 2018 after the Direct Primaries that produced the current Osun State Governor. The then Deputy Speaker was one of the aspirants who wanted an indirect mode, but the NWC adopted a Direct primary, which he lost; therefore, this angry statement.

POWEROFPEACE:


Kanaka and his like will be arrested a day or two days to the election. You think Governor Obaseki is a fool

Just like Kogi tata tata thugs were arrested before election the last time.

ddippset:
lol

Forgive him for he knows not what he says.

He thinks the election will be conducted on AIT.

Abi o!

ddippset:
lol

Dokpesi and Ozekhome cannot win all of their family votes.

Don't mind the guy. He thinks what's taking place in Edo between now and September 19 is broadcasting business and law practice.

martineverest:
Shuaibu is the real politician...the real tormentor of Oshiomhole

Shuaibu is he most rugged politician in Edo state.the former SUG president is NYesom wike of Edo state..

ironically,he is from Oshiomhole's town...him dokpesi and ozekhome will overpower Oshiomhole in Edo north

We are talking about politics of election winning, you are mentioning Dokpesi and Ozekhome! You must be a jester. You really amuse me here!

Yes, under the platform of NRC Party that has gone with June 12.

Bundaweber:


I stated it that he should join a "smaller" party and use it to form an alliance with the other 15. obaseki has been politically naive since and he need to grow out of that toddling stage quickly. he has always been campainging as if he has won the primaries. meanwhile the apc forgets it can lose Edo state on this ground if the case is not statue barred. a contestant of the last election can go to court and ask that they apc should not have served as the government because they brought an unqualified individual

Obaseki never presented any certificate in 2016.He only presented a sworn Affidavit.

martineverest:
that's what they don't know...they way edo will vote PDP eh

As if you are the Omniscient that knows the minds of all Edo voters as they will be holding ballot papers on election day.

CutieKing:
He should have bern disqualified on the ground of anti party activity.how can a governor enact a law that would have put your party primary in jeopardy in your state?.
That cant be more anti party moves more than that.
Stupid power drunk governor.

He is constitutionally empowered to make law through his State Assembly. Whether that law is good or bad can only be determined by court, not his party. So, APC can not disqualify him based on that since the law affects the entire State, not APC alone. If APC had disqualified him based on that, it would have been a good ground to set the disqualification aside.

But any Party reserves the right to refuse to allow any aspirant to contest election under its flag based on what it deems may jeopardise the chances of the Party in general election in the qualification process for that election as it affects the aspirant.

Now that it has happened, the events that will follow in Edo State and APC at national level will determine how acceptable Obaseki is and how powerful Oshiomole is.

ddippset:
Contrary to popular beliefs,
Direct primary is even more favourable at this covid 19 times.

For Direct primary people just gather at their wards and vote for their flag nearer. And it's done!


But for Indirect primary, people firstly gather at the wards to vote delegates. These delegates in their thousands then gather at the stadium to vote the flag bearer.


Direct primares is safer and definitely more democratic.

You forgot to add this: In indirect primaries, delegates are wooed with money by money-bag aspirants and then camped in hotels so as to prevent them from being bought over by higher-bidding aspirants, sometimes for as long as a week before the primary election day. They are then moved en mass from hiding to election venue on the D-day. Others who are not camped do lodge in their hundreds and thousands at various hotels around the State Capital days before the election.

With these scenarios associated with indirect primary, social contacts are multiple and uncontrollable. Transmission is therefore highly unavoidable.

This is unlike direct primary where members will only have to come out of their houses on election day and do not have to camp or assemble at any place days before. Social contact is very minimal and chances of transmission highly reduced, if not unlikely.

Hope he wouldn't submit another one to PDP or other party soon.

It brings to memory when Buhari summoned Tinubu and Ambode to a meeting.

To Obaseki, the outcome of the meeting would be like an unfavourable exams result to a student.

John Alechenu, Punch, Abuja

Eight governors elected on the platform of the All Progressives Congress, on Sunday, held a meeting with the National Leader of the APC, Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu, at the state House Marina, Lagos to make a case for the Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki.

Although details of the meeting were still sketchy as of the time of filing this report, it was gathered that the governors were at the closed-door meeting to seek Tinubu’s intervention in the search for truce in the political conflict between Obaseki and his godfather, the National Chairman of the APC, Adams Oshiomhole.

Governors who attended the meeting included the chairman of the Progressives Governors Forum, Abubakar Bagudu (Kebbi), Abdullahi Ganduje (Kano), Babajide Sanwu-Olu (Lagos), Rotimi Akeredolu (Ondo), Adeboyega Oyetola (Osun) and Dapo Abiodun (Ogun).

Others are Mohammed Abubakar (Jigawa) and Obaseki.

Five of the governors, including Obaseki, then proceeded to Abuja, preparatory to a meeting with the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.).

A source privy to the meeting who pleaded a[b]nonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media, said, “The governors met with our national leader, they laid their cards on the table and plainly asked for his intervention.

“They admitted that mistakes had been made especially with the governor’s refusal to pave the way for the swearing in of 14 elected APC members as members of the state Assembly.

“They also noted that the meeting ought to have held earlier and that the governor who was present at the meeting should have reached out to seek help much earlier before the situation degenerated to the level of a public spat between the governor and the national chairman.

“And being the kind of person, he is, our leader listened patiently and he is not one to rush into judgment before hearing from the other party. He will look at what is in the party’s best interest after consulting widely with other stakeholders before taking a final stand."

The National Working Committee of the party had approved the direct primary as the mode of selecting the party’s standard bearer for the forthcoming governorship election in the state.

Loyalists of the governor are opposed to the mode arguing that it was meant to frustrate his chances of standing as the party’s standard bearer.

Obaseki and his estranged political godfather have been at odds over the former’s bid for a second term in office following a long-drawn battle for the political control of the state.

Pundits accuse the governor of working with his fellow governors opposed to Oshiomhole leadership style in an earlier attempt to force Oshiomhole out of office.

A member of the party’s National Working Committee who also pleaded anonymity for fear of retribution said, “Besides the feud between Obaseki and our National Chairman, we have to consider the overall interest of our party. The best thing to do for our party in Edo is to have direct primaries. This is why; it is the best for us even without the conflict between the two leaders. The last time we did primaries even for the election of Obaseki as governor, it was direct, we have done that there before, we can only improve on it than to go and try something new. Two, if we are learning from our past mishaps like what happened in Rivers State, there were litigations over the congresses we did before and we went into indirect and we used officials whose positions were being challenged in court as delegates and when the court nullified the congresses that brought the executives, everything done was nullified, we lost the opportunity to contest the elections in Rivers State.

“There are two chairmen in Edo, we have recognized the removal of the Anselem-led exco and the matter is still in court, whichever way the court rules, we may have a problem if we use the indirect using the executives as delegates.

“Then there is the issue of COVID-19 with the protocol of social distancing. It will be easier to manage a crowd in each ward instead of bringing four to five thousand people in one place as the indirect mode will require.”

When contacted, the APC National Vice-Chairman, South South, Hilliard Eta said, “As the governing political party, the APC will continue to lead by example when it comes to giving party members the right to choose candidates.

Also, the National Publicity Secretary of the party, Mallam Lanre Issa-Onilu, said, “The APC will, as always, provide a level playing field for all aspirants to pursue their legitimate aspirations in line with the constitution on our party guidelines.”

https://punchng.com/obaseki-seven-apc-govs-meet-tinubu-plan-presidents-meeting/

Prince John Mayaki is the Director of Communication and Media, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu Campaign Organisation. He is a former Executive Director (Media) to former Governor Adams Oshiomhole and ex-Chief Press Secretary to Governor Godwin Obaseki. In this interview with TEMIDAYO AKINSUYI, he speaks on the controversy trailing the mode of primary to be adopted by the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the selection of its governorship candidate in Edo state.

Excerpts:

What is your take on the controver­sy trailing the mode of primary to be adopted by the APC in selecting the party’s flagbearer in the September 19 governorship election?

There is no controversy other than the fact that Governor God­win Obaseki and his co-travelers have continued in their shameful, anti-party act of undermining the leadership of the APC. The National Working Committee (NWC), accord­ing to the constitution, is the body empowered to conduct and prescribe the mode of primaries. And they have decided that the more inclusive and democratic direct mode is what should be adopted in Edo State. But because Obaseki is desperate to hide from the assessment of party mem­bers he has badly treated since his emergence, he is protesting the deci­sion, disguising concerns for his own personal political survival as a public health issue using COVID-19. If that’s the controversy you’re talking about, it is understandable.

Again, I have also listened to the Deputy Governor, Philip Shaibu calling on President Muhammadu Buhari and the Governors to come conduct the primaries in the state and I was wondering if the deputy governor lost his mind and being un­able to distinguish between internal party politics, democracy and gover­nance especially in the conduct of party primaries which is the respon­sibility of the party’s NWC.

The Governor too is also said to have been running from one Gover­nor to another among the Progres­sives’ governors and leaders of the party across the country asking for an indirect party primaries. That’s a man who claims to be fighting ‘godfatherism’, .It is astonishing that Obaseki is now pleading for an ‘enthronement’ instead of a clearly defined democratic process based on popular choice.

And so, to answer your question, I do not see any controversy because those whose responsibility it is to decide the type of primaries the par­ty would conduct in Edo state have gone ahead to say so and we expect Obaseki and Philip Shaibu to pre­pare themselves for the exercise and stop fidgeting and setting the rules for an examination in which they are students.

18 Local Government chairmen last week Wednesday said that Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu is not a member of the party in the state. Do you think their argument is valid?

Let’s not attach importance to the political theater that these people are staging. How can you say an aspirant who got the endorsement of virtually all respected and capable leaders of the party in Edo State is not a mem­ber? As Vice-Chairman of the Com­mittee that drafted the constitution of the APC at its founding stage when the likes of Obaseki were nowhere to be found, Pastor Osagie Ize Iyamu has a clear, robust understanding of the party rules. When he made the deci­sion to return home, he satisfied all conditions required to be a registered member and there is an abundance of evidence to back this. What those people did on that day was just borne out of pressure from the Governor. We have it on good authority that they were all induced to sign the said state­ment and are even being pressured to proceed to court. This was Obaseki’s plan all along and that was why he tried to frustrate the return of Pastor through different means, including using state agencies and issuing ar­bitrary bans to block a ceremonious rally held by the party last year.

Let me quickly add this, do you need to bribe local government party chairmen to deny a member of party membership? I have it on good record that even members of the state house of Assembly got N100,000.00 each to append their signature in a document disclaiming the membership of Pas­tor Osagie Ize-Iyamu and you begin to ask yourself, why this desperation? It is not in their place to determine the membership of anyone in the party; it is the national secretariat of the party that has the final say on the membership of anyone in the party and not a few hungry guys who sold their conscience tot the governor just to clinch a second term ticket. For me, this is Democracy and it is the more, the merrier. If the governor thinks he has performed, provided the 200,000 jobs he promised, and popular among the people, he should stop these she­nanigans and surrender himself for direct primary elections. Governor Obaseki is reported to have been spon­soring his friends to pick the party’s nomination form. We are aware of one Matthew Iduoriyekemwen who was reported to have picked form while others are lined up to also pick on Monday or Tuesday. The reason is not far-fetched – create crisis in the party while planning to run the elec­tion on the platform of another polit­ical party. We however wish him well in his political voyage to nowhere.

How will you react to their claim that only the NEC can grant waiver to Ize-Iyamu and not NWC?

Proponents of this claim are peo­ple who have a poor understanding of the party constitution and they keep exposing their ignorance with this ill-advised challenge of Pastor Ize Iyamu’s membership. To address this issue comprehensively, it must be stat­ed that the NWC has long been given the powers to draw up guidelines for party primaries and this includes the power to grant waivers where neces­sary to a person who is not ordinarily otherwise qualified to seek elective office on the party’s platform. In the case of Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, the waiver was just a political act meant to symbolise his reunion with his political family. As a duly registered member of the party, he is already, by party constitution, free to be nominat­ed for elective post on its platform and this has been affirmed by the party leadership with a final say on the mat­ter. Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu is neither new to politics nor the rules of the APC. He was Vice-Chairman of the Committee that drafted the rules. So these people making ignorant claims should come to him for guidance.

There’s nothing wrong if anyone wants to live in self-delusion over this matter. If Obaseki and Philip Shaibu think they can blackmail the leader­ship of the party to gain sympathy, they are joking. Obaseki cannot be governor of Edo state and at the same time attempt to be the National Chair­man of the party by dictating how his own election should be conducted. It smacks of arrogance, party indisci­pline and anti-party activities.

Some party chieftains such as Chief John Odigie-Oyegun and Deputy National Chairman, Lawal Shuaibu are claiming the primary will be bias with Oshiomhole as National chairman. What is your reaction to that?

Both men you have mentioned are merely using the situation to voice their personal vendetta against the National Chairman for reasons best known to them. We know that the grouse of Chief Oyegun against Comrade Adams Oshiomhole is still not over; the fact that he lost his position even though under his lead­ership, the party was thrown into a cesspit of disorderliness, indisci­pline, and was on the path of losing the general election but for the quick intervention of members who unan­imously agreed that he had to go. The logic they are employing here is, to be blunt, not sound. If we stretch it further, can we also ask Obaseki to relinquish the powers of his office as Governor pending the completion of the election because he is also an ac­tive contender and should not have such an advantage? At least, in Obase­ki’s case, there are clear proofs of him using the powers of state to tilt the balance in his favour. For all we know, the National Chairman has been fair in his dealings to all. The only person that has a problem with his fairness is Godwin Obaseki who, like in 2016, wants him to use his personal influ­ence to help him win.

https://www.independent.ng/edo-apc-primary-obaseki-as-a-student-cant-set-rules-for-an-examination-mayaki/

By Annie Nwosu

A frontline aspirant for the All Progressives Congress, APC, guber ticket in Edo State, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu has dismissed claims that he is not a member of the party.

He said those disputing his membership of the party were only engaging in fruitless exercise.

The Pastor had reportedly emerged as the APC consensus candidate for the State governorship election.

Reacting to the development, the chairman of the forum of APC chairmen in Edo State, Elder Benjamin Oghumu, on Thursday told journalists in Benin City that Ize-Iyamu was not a member of the party in Edo State, hence, there was urgent need to reject the acclaimed consensus, which is totally without foundation.

However, Mr. John Mayaki, the Director of Communication and Media to Osagie’s Campaign Organisation in a statement made available to DAILY POST on Friday, said the Pastor was one of those who not only formed the APC but drafted the constitution of the APC.

He said “It is quite unfortunate that many of these people don’t read, they have not sat down to even read the APC constitution.

“The APC apart from being a progressive party was deliberately formed to be a mass organisation and one of the things those who drafted the APC constitution (including Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu) did was to make it easy for Nigerians, irrespective of who they are, to be able to join the party like the APC without people like these renegades trying to put hurdles in their way.

“Politics is a game of numbers and ideally, you would want to welcome people to your party.

“If you look at the constitution of the APC, article 9, you will find out that, unknown to them, you can go to your ward and register or you can even do online registration and the essence of this is to ensure that nobody is deprived.

“When Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu among others were putting the party together, the Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki was not there and nowhere to be found; so how do you expect a man who should be a beneficiary of a house that he helped to build be stopped from gaining access into the house?

“However, knowing the rules, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu went to his ward chairman, Mr. Ogbebor in Ugboko ward in Orhiomwon to say himself among his teaming followers were coming back home, and he was given the party card.

“The party chairman brought him a party card and the day he was declaring, he raised up his card and said ‘gentlemen, what I am doing is just a mere ceremony’ but the truth about it is that he has actually gone to his ward to register, he openly tendered his party card and they were shocked.

“What these people don’t understand is that in the APC constitution, there is even an alternative which is the online option and so, Pastor OsagieIze-Iyamu applied.

“Nobody can quarrel with the online registration because he has the slip, the registration number, his name is on the portal of the party.

“Again, unknown to these renegades, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu does not really need to rely on that card because with his online registration, nobody can challenge his membership of the party.”

“What they are doing is an exercise in futility,” he added.

Source: https://dailypost.ng/2020/05/29/apc-nobody-can-challenge-my-membership-status-pastor-osagie-ize-iyamu/

Former Edo State Education Commissioner, Gideon Obhakhan, examines the factors that will shape the All Progressive Congress (APC) primary in the Southsouth state.

If I were Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State today, I will simply walk away and not participate in the race to return as governor of Edo State for a second tenure. The reason is simple. All odds are against him, he has lost the four Aces and there is no Joker in the pack.

He has neither the capacity nor the temperament to remedy the situation. As a gallant fighter, I’d rather not be disgraced out of office. I’d take solace in the popular saying that he who fights and runs away, lives to fight another day.

The open battle to oust the current governor of Edo State began over a year ago with few individuals coming together to demand that the governor retraces his steps and pulls the party together, rather than pick and choose who he talks to or works with within the political class.

The governor simply waived the idea off and continued to call politicians unprintable names, and their expressed frustrations were seen like the rantings of an ant. Little did Obaseki know that what started like a little tea party will eventually become one of his greatest nightmares as governor of Edo State.

Somehow, I am tempted to excuse Mr. Governor’s posture because as an unknown political quantity in 2016, he couldn’t have known how difficult it was for the political class to make him governor of Edo State.

To him, it was a simple command from the then governor of Edo State, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole. It is almost obvious now that he didn’t know that the seemingly easy project was as a result of long years of selfless service to the people, respect for the political class and conscious, tireless effort towards working with every Tom, Dick, and Harry.

In trying to resolve the issues that became glaring when the battle took shape, Obaseki has ended up with too mistakes and has offended too many people who cannot genuinely forgive him between now and June 22, a day fixed by the All Progressives Congress, APC, for their party primaries.

He has obviously gotten and unfair share of bad advice from his co-travelers. The list is endless but I guess a few deserve some mention here. The first shocker and I must say the most embarrassing to me as an Edo indigene was the nocturnal inauguration of nine out of 24 members-elect, which till date has continued unchanged.

Next was the State sponsored violence against the members-elect that dared to condemn their exclusion from the process that they were legally entitled having won their elections in their respective constituencies.

The battle continued and at a certain stage became violent with bombs being thrown into houses of certain leaders, as well as wanton destruction of property across the stage.

At some point there was an open and direct order (with video evidence) from the governor to deal with any person seen gathering under the platform of the now defunct Edo People’s Movement, EPM.

The order was further extended to the revered national chairman of the party who was asked to take permission from Mr. Governor each time he need to visit Edo State. The deputy governor even admonished the Inspector General of Police to arrest Comrade Oshiomhole within this same period.

When all these efforts didn’t yield the kind of results that Obaseki wanted, he decided to change the strategy a little bit. I believe he was advised that when he is able to remove the national chairman who was being accused of sponsoring the so-called greedy politicians, his problems will be over.

He threw in all he got to achieve the removal of the national chairman of the party. The support at some point transcended the borders of Edo State towards the North and other parts of the country culminating in a court judgement ordering the APC national chairman to stop parading himself as the governor of Edo State.

This became the celebrated highpoint of Obaseki’s battles. However, that order was set aside by the Appeal Court and today Comrade Adams Oshiomhole remains the chairman of the party.

Very recently, the National Working Committee (NWC) of APC, in the discharge of their lawful duties, released the timetable for its primaries as well as the mode of primaries.

They decided that the mode of primaries shall be the direct, which means all card carrying members of APC are expected to come out to vote their preferred candidate on the 22nd of June 2020.

This decision has surprisingly sparked off some debate across the State with Obaseki and his followers vehemently opposed to it.

Even the suspended APC State chairman, Anselm Ojezua came out to say he has decided that the mode of primaries shall be indirect and the reason he gave was that it is not safe to conduct direct primaries in the face of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

The reason he gave has become a source of comic relief for Edo State citizens who are wondering whether or not, INEC will also be advised to conduct indirect elections on September 19, 2020.

The same government who is talking of the risk of COVID-19 is allowing markets to open and transact their businesses in large numbers when compared to the potential number of party members that will come out for a few hours to exercise their franchise on a chosen date.

The final straw that broke the camel’s back was the recent show of statesmanship, courage, and wisdom by the aspirants under the APC platform such as Dr. Pius Odubu, Engr. Chris Ogiemwonyi, Gen. Charles Airhiavbere, Chief Solomon Edebiri, Prof. Ebegue Amadasun, Hon. Saturday Uwuilekhue, and Hon. Ehiozuwa Agbonayinma – they all decided on a consensus candidate in the person of Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu and agreed to work with him.

You hardly find this kind of commitment anywhere in the world, where supposed opponents completely drop their personal ambition to support a single person and work together in unity for the achievement of a common purpose.

This to me, deserves some commendation. It also calls to mind, how governor Godwin Obaseki will get these people to his side if with some magic wand he gets the ticket of the party. Will it not be political suicide for the party to hand over its flag to such an unpopular candidate?

These scheming, comments, and more leave one with no option but to ask, “ain’t the game over for Obaseki?” Is the handwriting on the wall not clear enough? Does he need any more dose of the sort of advice he has enjoyed all these while? Will they urge him on to contest in the face of imminent defeat? The answers to these questions are obvious. The game is up. This may be his last chance to quit honourably. I sincerely advise him to do just that.

Source: https://thenationonlineng.net/edo-poll-can-obaseki-win-apc-primary/

OJEEMAH:
Dont be carried away by his body language. He gives people the impression that he doesn't care but not when his party's victory is in jeopardy. The last election in Kogi was a typical example. was he blind not to have seen how Apc manipulated Inec & the security operatives?

Was the President's party not in jeopardy in Zamfara and Rivers? What intervention did he make to reign in the warring factions before they both ruined themselves through court actions?

Was his party's victory not in jeopardy in Ogun when he did not come out clear to declare his support for his party man but welcomed Amosun's candidate under the banner of another party to Aso Villa? Didn't he know that his party's victory would be in jeopardy in Imo when Okorocha tore the party into two by going ahead to sponsor his in-law under another party like Amosun did in Ogun? Was Buhari's APC not in jeopardy when he went to campaign in both States and was telling them to vote for any Governorship candidate of their choice, not campaigning emphatically for APC candidates, right at APC rally?

Buhari has not shown himself to be the kind of personality that has the political clout to stamp his feet on the ground to declare his support for any side of a conflict and call the other side to order.

Kogi election went that way because of Tinubu's intervention when things got to climax. It was an open secret how Yaya Bello had to rush to Bourdillon to plead with Tinubu. Tinubu's influence on Oshiomole and his calling on James Faleke to support Bello's candidacy was two major game changers in Kogi State. It is not about Buhari at all.

Rave FM 91.7

Let's even forget about the constitutionality or not of such a law for now, which I believe would never take the court more than a blink of an eye to throw to the dustbin, if it was challenged, which would surely be challenged. Let's address the applicability of such law, were it to be made.

Such law would affect indirect primaries more than it could affect direct one. Direct primary is more or less like the major election. It is not conducted in a confined space. It is done at open spaces. So, the issue of not gathering more than 100 persons in a confined space cannot even arise.

Party members are not camped as it is always done in indirect primaries where delegates need to be camped.

Card-carrying members of the party in each ward can be easily arranged to vote in a group of not more than 50 persons per unit. It is easily possible, moreso that such election is always done at open places, even beside main roads like regular elections. Party-member voters will just come from their various houses at their respective units to vote and that's all. It's not a complex process at all.

Indirect election usually involves thousands of accredited delegates elected and selected from various units and wards. And it is not always done at open spaces but in confined places like stadiums, hotels, events centers, etc.

As a matter of of fact, each aspirant often camp their would-be voters in hotels days before the primary election, having wooed them with money.

We know how they do camp delegates in their hundreds and thousands before election and move them enmass to the election center on the D-day.

Now tell me how such a law would not work against Obaseki himself. Because he would need to camp his trusted delegates.

Obaseki would shoot himself in the leg if he dared make such a draconian law.

moderatedguy:
Yea that's why he will really trounce Oshiomole.The REC is a PDP man

The REC is a PDP man?! And so? So, the REC will make Obaseki win party primaries which the REC will not organise but just observe? Or he would help Obaseki secure PDP's ticket after he might have been defeated in APC's primaries? You made me laugh.

Charly68:
Plan B option is under narrow probability ...I tell you the man ought to have applied wisdom..stoop low to conquer .

Perhaps he overestimated himself due to his power as a sitting Governor.

duwdu:


I totally agree.

I don't remember whether or not the following take was my own original idea; but going back in history, I had since believed that the tough, no-nonsense, even semi-draconian aura surrounding the Buhari-Idiagbon military regime, must have been championed mainly by the second-in-command Idiagbon, not Buhari, who was the official Head of State.

Buhari may be resilient and relatively upright, but he is not forceful. And a forceful leader, who hopefully will also be somewhat upright - a la Jerry Rawlings - may be an optimum character our type of society needs in leadership, especially at this point in our evolutionary journey as a nation.

But hey, we'll eventually get to be mature as a nation; it may just end up taking a long time.

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P34c3
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You're right. We'll get there.

duwdu:


This is reference material, and you're even totally decent in your way of making these points.

In the same vein, you've avoided having to drag in those issues some observers considered showcased even the more treacherous nature of Bukola Saraki. Those things, in fact, made Saraki's disgraceful loss in his bid to return to the Senate such sweet music to the ears of both the hierarchy and membership of his now erstwhile party, the APC!

Every treachery should have consequences.

'Nuf said.

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P34c3
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Yes. Above is just a synopsis of Saraki's subterfuge nature.

Charly68:
And you think he is fighting in the right direction..?

To me, Obaseki is fighting a lost battle already. I hope I'm proved wrong eventually. But if the dynamics remain unchanging as currently ongoing till the primary election, which doesn't appear to be largely in his favour, then Obaseki may have to be working on Plan B outside APC.

duwdu:


My thinking and sentiments, exactly. Meanwhile, some people never recognize that some charlatans simply know how to drop names - Buhari's especially - in the current political dispensation. Thanks for posting.

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They have been doing it already. And he doesn't care who among them is right or wrong. Whoever among the name droppers has enough wits and mussles to win over the other in the rough game is acceptable to the man Buhari.

Think about how Amosun presented his candidate on another party platform against all his party's internal decorum. At the end of the day, what did Buhari do? He received Akinlade, Amosun's Guber candidate under another party, with an open embrace at Aso Rock. He almost lifted up the hands of the man at the APC rally in Abeokuta Stadium. He did similar thing in Imo State with Okorocha's candidate.

At the end of the day, Buhari told everyone of them in both States to go and vote for whoever they liked! Imagine that!! At APC's rally!!! Buhari's political philosophy seems to be 'The end justifies the means', it doesn't matter what manner of means it is.

So, for Obaseki or anyone to think that Buhari is on the Governor's side, willy-nilly, will be politically suicidal for the man Obaseki.

duwdu:


Good thinking. In fact, truer words have never been spoken about the serially nonchalant Buhari. I honestly feel that the man Buhari thinks that, by letting everyone do what they like, he's being non-dictatorial and is now wearing the toga of a democrat, lol.

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Truly said. Actually, Buhari's non-challance is partly an attempt to prove that he is now a repentant democrat as he described himself in the build up to the 2015 election. It is, however, largely a manifestation of attitudinal weakness.

Buhari doesn't only show this weakness in political and State affairs; he does even in his family matters as revealed many times in Aisha's outcries, leaving his wife and family at the mercy of cabals and allowing the weel of State governance to be rolling at the dictates of the powers around him. Everyone of them keeps running country affairs gleefully while Buhari silently looks on as if he is helpless.

maidstone:

You have a point but remember he didn't dislike Saraki at that time.

Remember the statement he gave when Saraki emerged as winner

Buhari was even cosy with Atiku at that time

That is the more proof that Buhari is not politically cunning. A politically savvy President would have known the kind of person that would give him trouble and wouldn't have supported him to become a Senate President, in any way.

nzeobi:

Please how did saraki try to pull down his government.

As if you were not on this planet then, Saraki's Senate was an opposition within the ruling Party's Government. Virtually every policy of Buhari's APC-led government received the stiffest opposition it couldn't have received if it was a Senate headed and dominated by opposition party.

During Saraki's reign, he did not only collaborate with the opposition by having one of them as his Deputy, he gave a solid backing to PDP in the National Assembly so much that opposition had a free reign, despite being the minority, countering almost every policy of the Executive, whether it was in the interest of the country or not.

Under Saraki, many legislators from the ruling party became an opposition against the Party that produced them. They were galvanized by Saraki to go against the interests of the APC-led Executive. In fact, they even threatened to impeach the President at some point on flimsy grounds.

No ruling party since the advent of democracy had had it so rough under their own Senate President as APC had under Saraki. In short, under Saraki, the ruling party became an opposition and the opposition became the ruling party in the National Assembly.