Edo: Ex-gov calls for reconciliation ahead APC guber primary

Former Governor of Edo state, Senator Oserheimen Osunbor on Friday advised the All Progressives Congress (APC) leaders in the state to tread with caution not to fall into legal pitfalls after the gubernatorial election.

Osunbor in a statement signed by him, advised the warring factions within the party to embrace peace before the primary scheduled for June 22.

The APC stalwart, who is also a member of the APC national caucus, asserted that the crisis in Edo state chapter of the APC which has simmered for two years, is threatening to boil over as the party draws closer to the its gubernatorial primary on June 22.

“This portends disastrous consequences for the party and the people of Edo state, unless it is resolved promptly before the primary.

“Given my position in the party, I have made efforts outside of public glare towards bringing about reconciliation by speaking to the two leading protagonists, the National Chairman, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole and Governor Godwin Obaseki as well as some of their supporters.

“I also tried to rally some elders of the party from the state to broker peace. It is common knowledge that the Oba of Benin, Oba Ewuare II made his own efforts including appealing to President Mohammadu Buhari to help broker peace among these two illustrious sons of Edo state.

“It is also believed that their mutual friend, Dr. Aliko Dangote made repeated efforts at reconciliation to no avail. So did a number of others that I know,” he stated.

However, Osunbor said that efforts to reconcile the warring factions by the party and well -meaning individuals appear heading for the rocks as all reconciliation moves have failed to achieve the desired results as the governorship primary draw closer.

He aaverred that it will be extremely risky and ill-advised for the party to conduct its primary, talkless of going into the governorship election bitterly divided.

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“Hence, it has become urgent and compelling to hasten the process of reconciliation of all aggrieved persons without further delay.

“The reason that reconciliation is imperative is that if the party conducts rancorous primaries and goes into the governorship elections divided, winning will become more difficult than it should be ordinarily, given the weakness of the opposition in the state.

“Even if the APC candidate wins the election the victory will be tenuous because of the threat of litigation that is almost certain to follow. This is why we must as a party tread with caution.

“It is often erroneously thought that elections end when INEC’s returning officer announces a winner, but this has over the years proved not to be conclusive in all cases.

“At best, it can be likened to the end of the first half in a game of football. The second half which is even more decisive plays out in the election petition tribunal and courts of law.

“It is unhelpful at this stage to dwell in polemics, apportion blame or argue as to whether it is best to adopt direct or indirect primary, which at any rate enjoy equal legitimacy (along with consensus) under Article 20 of the APC constitution.

“There is no doubt at all that the APC candidate will win the forthcoming election, but we must be mindful not to lose the victory in court because of a flaw in the process that produced the candidate.

“The pain of such a loss will be too agonising to bear. The leaders of the main opposition in Edo state have been quoted in the media, as saying that they are hoping and praying to benefit from the APC crisis so that they can recover through the court the governorship that they lost in the court,” the former governor cautioned..

According to him, the APC must not make the mistake of gifting the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) the governorship whether by act of commission or omission.

“For now the signs are not good. There is danger ahead. We must avoid pitfalls.

“I therefore make this clarion call on the APC national leadership to act urgently and decisively to put our house in order by fostering reconciliation before it is too late. We need to tread with caution,” he said.