This may have put paid to the proposed direct primary election by All Progressives Congress (APC) to elect its governorship candidate in the State.

Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, has signed a new gazette, banning social gathering involving more than 20 persons in the state without his explicit approval.

The governor also approved the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium, Benin City, the State capital as the only facility for any political party desirous of gathering for the purpose of primary elections.

This may have put paid to the proposed direct primary election by All Progressives Congress (APC) to elect its governorship candidate in the State.

The gazette, claimed by the state government to be a product of an epidemiological study that predicted that COVID-19 infections in the state would peak around the June 28.

It made special conditions for gatherings of at most 5,000 people subject to the written approval of the Governor.

These 5,000 persons who may gather for political reasons must assemble in Benin City and in a single facility with capacity for not less than 10,000 persons, according to the gazette.
https://newsflash247.com.ng/edo-guber-poll-obaseki-ban-political-gatherings-approves-only-benin-stadium/

Mynd44
Lalasticlala

Fight
Fight
Fight

And one of the machineries is to ensure Edo rates high in NCDC scoreboard as we've been seeing in recent days.
Though I don't support godfargerism but I'm with Oshiomole here. That man was almost humiliated, he almost lost the party chairman seat thank God for his doggedness.

politicians

Fight back,this is not Lagos. fight back we are not coward's. get party register, screen all the people that'll vote during the primaries, declare corfew Covid19 is real

Bluebae:
Fight back,this is not Lagos. fight back we are not coward's. get party register, screen all the people that'll vote during the primaries, declare corfew Covid19 is real

This is the issue. Obaseki doesn’t have the authentic register. The register is what the NWC decides and the names will be from them. Obaseki can not be screening as they will have submitted the list.

Obaseki cannot monitor primary elections in every part of the state and members of his own team will possibly betray him as theu know the side of the bread that has butter

This declaration is illegal

Obaseki will use Covid as excuse

While I support this move, my worry is whether obasike has the powers to control our security Agencies if his opponents are using Abuja which is order from Above.

I support Obasike but I fear he is owing the wrong part.

The major stakeholders are not by his side and I fear he might lose this battle.

I will advice the governor to focus on more meaningful strategies than always talking and attacking.

Those he talks about and attack have never responded but all are busy strategizing.

Only God can help the governor.

This is getting really interesting. Let's watch as events unfolds

This is definitely a master plan by Obaseki.

This means that no direct primaries can hold at the wards but only indirect can hold at the stadium.

But Obaseki will not be able to implement it till INEC's deadline.

PDP will most likely opt for indirect primaries which means that they will be permitted to use the stadium and they will use the stadium.

So all it takes is for the APC NEC to approve the direct primary option and the FG will mobilise the security forces to conduct the primaries.

Obaseki can't stop that especially when the APC led FG sees that PDP have concluded theirs.

The Primary election will end in a stalemate. And the Zamfara and Rivers scenario will likely play out in the scheme of things. This is true fight of the Titans.

Mynd44:

This is the issue. Obaseki doesn’t have the authentic register. The register is what the NWC decides and the names will be from them. Obaseki can not be screening as they will have submitted the list.

Obaseki cannot monitor primary elections in every part of the state and members of his own team will possibly betray him as theu know the side of the bread that has butter

Politics! Besides being a game of number, is full of intrigues. The realm of possibilities are beyond what you think is reasonable or rational. My only worry is that this fight might take the the state back to the 'dark days'.
As regard what each party can or cannot do, WATCH & SEE; online speculations don't quite cut it.
Funny how people think there will be a Winner in this imbroglio. Without sincere dialogue and concrete reconciliation, they will both LOSE.

Obaseki only went to Buhari for permission to fight for survival or die trying..

Esseite:
Obaseki only went to Buhari for permission to fight for survival or die trying..

And you think Buhari will support Obaseki? Obaseki that Buhari once told to inaugurate the remaining 14 house of assembly member that he refused. Even many of you here on nairaland blame Buhari then that he should mind his business.

heykims:
And one of the machineries is to ensure Edo rates high in NCDC scoreboard as we've been seeing in recent days.
Though I don't support godfargerism but I'm with Oshiomole here. That man was almost humiliated, he almost lost the party chairman seat thank God for his doggedness.

Obaseki na big mumu. He's allowing a cluster of 5000 people and he's at the same time claiming to be preventing a person to person transmission.
Which kain jazz dem use on this man like this? Instead of him to ask his supporters to field to work on the direct primary, he's directing them to a stadium where inec might not come to monitor since it received letter on the direct method and no stadium was mentioned as the proposed venue in the letter. Obaseki should learn from hope uzodima vs uche nwosu and abdulkabir vs dapo abiodun...the party secretariat decided which primary to uphold.

What many people refuse to acknowledge in this game is that it would have been easy for Progressive forum to safe Obaseki if he as inaugurate 14 house of assembly member that he refused. Even at that if Obaseki did not win this fight, I think they might drag him to court if APC flag bearer win and if they do there's no way he would not be penalised because he has committed a great offence.

At first Obeseki goofed with that Gazzette. The election is a constitutional matter and theexecutive gazzette can’t over ride the constitution.
Now which security agency will make sure that his Gazzetted order is carried out?
This shows that Obaseki has lost this battle already and he should remember that after his tenure expired. They will come hard for him.