Edo: APC governors, sympathisers support my ambition – Obaseki

*Says he will not divide PDP

*Presented all certificates for screening

Edo state governor, Godwin Obaseki said he has the support of All Progressives Congress (APC) governors among other stakeholders in the ruling party to fulfill his ambition of retaining his seat in the September 19 governorship election on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

He said objectively minded Nigerians including APC stalwarts across the nation stand by him in his travail in the hands of the Adams Oshiomhole – led National Working Committee of the APC and are ready to lend him support to continue his good deeds in Edo state.

Obaseki told journalists after he was screened by the PDP Edo state screening committee in Abuja on Saturday that his ambition will not divide the PDP, rather he will serve as a unifier.

When asked to confirm report that he still enjoy the sympathy of APC governors, Obaseki said “I still thank God that I enjoy national support not just support from my colleagues from the APC.

“I think the support is national. There are elder statesmen who are apolitical, there are traditional rulers, I have people from different spectrum of the society who come around to soliderse with me and support because I think Nigerians are generally fair minded people.

“They are people who do not accept injustice. From what I have seen over the past several weeks and months, the support is just across the board. It is not just from APC governors alone”.

The governor assured the party his coming into the PDP will be a blessing adding that his ambition does not worth dividing the party.

On how he will relate with the other aspirants who have obtained forms before his defection on Friday, he said he
is speaking with all of them, hoping that his aim for the PDP is to have a united and very strong party.

“Party primary should not be divisive because we as a party are focused on the same objective and because we are separate individuals, our approaches may be different.

“So party primary in my view should not be acrimonious and destructive. And there are common grounds, common interest and i am very very hopeful that I will get it even as there are quite number of delegates for the exercise”, he promised..

Edo governorship poll: PDP reopens screening of aspirants

Ahead of him to pick the PDP nomination form were; Gideon Ikhine, Hon. Omoreige Ogbeide Ihama and Kenneth Imasuagbon.

Speaking further, he said ” I have done consultations with my constituents and my former party, and I made the decision to join the PDP and that decision was consummated yesterday.

“I went to the state Secretariat of PDP in Edo state yesterday to pick up membership and also came into Abuja to pick up my Nomination form. And with the kind leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party, they have been kind enough to admit me into the party and organised this screening for me”.

Obaseki disclosed that he submitted all his certificates before the screening committee and that the exercise went well.

“The screening was fair, it was very professionally done. You could see objectivity and I presented all my certificates, my secondary school, higher school, university and my National Youth Service certificate, so that they can look at it and see if there are inconsistencies in them and you can ask the screening committee if there are any inconsistencies in any of them?”, he said.