Edo guber primaries: Why Obaseki was disqualified- APC screening c’ttee

…Rejects Ogiemwonyi, clears Ize – Iyamu, Odubu, Obazee

...Oshiomhole orchestrated my disqualification, I won’t appeal – Gov

…Obaseki’s disqualification, a hatchet job – Odigie-Oyegun

…Ize-Iyamu expresses gratitude to party, says exercise transparent

The seven man screening committee set up by the All Progressives Congress (APC) to screen aspirants jostling for its ticket in the Edo State governorship primaries, on Friday, adduced reasons it disqualified the incumbent governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, from the race.

The Prof. Jonathan Ayuba – led declared Governor Obaseki, former Works minister, Chris Ogiemwonyi and former Majority Leader, Edo House of Assembly, Hon. Mathew Iduoriyenkenwen ineligible to contest the June 22 governorship primaries of the party.

However, those cleared to contest the direct primary election are former Secretary to State Government, Pastor Osagie Ize – Iyamu, former deputy governor, Pius Odubu and Osaro Obazee.

The committee faulted both the Higher School Certificate (HSC) and the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) certificate submitted by Obaseki in disqualifying him.

Prof. Ayuba said: “Though, His Excellency, Godwin Obaseki in his nomination form claimed to have obtained a Higher School Certificate (HSC) from an Institute of Continuing Education, Benin, it was observed however that no educational certificate such as HSC is known in Nigerian educational system.

Even then, the same HSC was never presented in the course of the screening exercise. The aspirant admitted that he has never collected it.

“The attestation from the Institute of Continuing Education, Benin from where the alleged HSC which was indicated in the field of attendance as obtained is of no consequence, as it only attests that Obaseki was a student of the Institute. So what we had was like it was just an attendance, it was not a result.

“Although the Committee received a petition on his University of Ibadan Bachelor of Arts Classics certificate which he submitted to INEC in 2016, when he first contested as governor, the committee on further probing was presented with original certificate issued by the University and the original was sighted.

“On the NYSC certificate dated 6th August 1980, the committee observed that he bears the name “Obasek Godwin. While this may be an error on the part of the issuing authority, we observed however that the aspirant has not taken any step ever to have the anomaly corrected by the issuing authority.

“In our interaction with issues raised, we concluded that HSC was defective, the NYSC certificate and based on the party’s Constitution, this has made us to recommend that the above candidate therefore, Obaseki is not eligible to participate in the election”.

Giving reason for disqualifying Ogiemwonyi, the committee chairman said ” the name on all the certificates presented by the aspirant are in contradiction with one another. Also the sworn declaration of age deposed to by one Capt. Steven on 3rd June 2016 bore two conflicting names of the aspirant.

“Considering the discrepancy in all the certificates presented and also the difference in the names contained in the sworn affidavit of June 2016, and having regards to the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the Electoral Act, APC Constitution and the party’s guidelines for the nomination of candidates and the reliance on the cases that have been settled by the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeal, it is the considered view of the committee that this aspirant does not meet the requirement to participate in the primary of the APC.

“In view of the findings of the committee above, Engr Chris is not cleared”.

The committee chairman, Prof. Ayuba said the assignment was a tasking one which came at a time the nation’s electoral process is being challenged, hence, making it necessary for the committee members to thoroughly do the assignment, knowing fully that their integrity was at stake.

“We did the work not for APC but for the nation. Knowing that our integrity is at stake, we were thorough in the process by putting on record interactions with all the aspirants. It was an evidence based exercise and our report is a true reflection of the process.

“What we did was not investigation but interaction and verification of documents submitted before us”.

Receiving the report on behalf of the National Working Committee (NWC), the national chairman of APC, Adams Oshiomhole while appreciating the committee members for a thorough job, said the report is not final but to be subjected to appeal.

He said the Appeal panel has to sit on the appeal that will emanate from the report submitted.

However, Governor Obaseki has said that he will not appeal his disqualification by the screening committee.

The governor, in a statement by his media aide, Crusoe Osagie, said it is needless filing an appeal when the National Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole, has carefully orchestrated the move from the beginning.

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“We have watched the mockery of democratic process, which Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, is administering and superintending over in our great party – the All Progressives Congress (APC). It has been an unfortunate, disheartening and dreadful spectacle.

“We had initially asserted that going by the open display and enthronement of illegality by one man in the party that comprises several organs and eminent personalities, there is no way that Governor Godwin Obaseki would get a fair assessment in the run-up to the nomination of candidates to fly the flag of the party in the forthcoming Edo gubernatorial election.

“It is unfortunate that this open show of shame, illegality and travesty of justice is the brand of democracy which Comrade Oshiomhole has reduced the APC into. The situation is quite saddening because this is a party supposedly reputed for change, equity and social justice.

“We have therefore decided that it would be effort in futility to appeal whatever the unjust outcome of the evaluation and screening process of the APC will be, especially when Comrade Oshiomhole has declared that he is the Supreme Court and ultimate determiner of the fate and future of our great party.

“We wish Oshiomhole luck in his maladministration of the party and trust that the Almighty will help our country to find the path to true liberty, freedom and justice”, Obaseki said.

The governor called on all party members and his teeming supporters to remain calm and await further directives.

In his own reaction, one of the disqualified, Chris Ogiemwonyi, a former Minister of State for Works expressed dissatisfaction with the outcome and has decided to go through the appeal process.

Rubbishing the report, Ogiemwonyi said he had served the country as a minister using same credentials for screening.

“It is all rubbish. We shall meet at the appeal. I served this country as a minister using the same credentials”, he said.

Former governor of Edo state and former national chairman of the party, Chief John Odigie Oyegun said Obaseki’s disqualification is an hatchet job aimed at installing a stooge that will allow some people unfettered access to Edo treasury.

Not surprised by the report, he said the disqualification is a clear indication that internal democracy has been murdered in APC, a party which was founded on the principles of fairplay and good conscience.

Odigie – Oyegun said: “I dare say that APC will suffer dire consequences in Edo State if this disqualification is not speedily reversed.

“As a matter of fact, Oshiomhole is indeed the one who is guilty of anti-party, not Obaseki. Oshiomhole is the one who is acting unconstitutionally not Obaseki. I hope that Oshiomhole will not go down in history as the undertaker of APC”.

In his reaction, former Minister of Information, Chief Tony Momoh, on Friday, said the All Progressives Congress (APC) should not expect ‘a tea party ‘in the Edo governorship election owing to the crisis at the state chapter.

Momoh, also an APC chieftain from the state, made the assertion while speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on telephone.

He was reacting to Friday’s disqualification of Gov Godwin Obaseki by APC Screening Committee from participating in the party’s governorship primary.

Momoh said the party needed to manage its crisis carefully in order not to give the state to the opposition.

The former minister said the disqualification of Obaseki was another serious development which might affect the chances of the party at the polls, if not resolved.

“There is crisis in Edo APC and like I said before, they need to manage the crisis well, otherwise they should not expect the election to be a tea party.

“As for the disqualification of Obaseki, I won’t say much because it is still a party affair. Obaseki is the sitting governor and if his disqualification stays, it might affect the party.

“With what is happening in Edo APC, I think any party can win in the governorship election,” he said.

On the options before Obaseki, he said the governor could approach the party’s Appeal committee to challenge his disqualification from the primary.

The former minister said if that fails, he could approach the court to challenge the decision of the party.

Momoh urged partymen in Edo not to allow clash of interests to affect the peace and progress of APC in the state.

Meanwhile, one of the cleared aspirants, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu has expressed gratitude to the screening committee of All Progressives Congress (APC) for carrying out a thorough job.

In a statement by the Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu Campaign Organisation and signed by the Director of Communication and Media, Mr. John Mayaki, Iyamu said: “I wish to send my deepest gratitude to all the members of our great party, the All Progressives Congress, for a joyful cooperation that led to a seamless but thorough screening exercise.

“The progress made today by completing this exercise reveals the true spirit and character of our party premised on a bold insistence on fairness, accountability, and transparency.

“On my own part, having passed the screening tests, I want to state my consistent readiness to take the will of the party as the ultimate, regarding its laws and principles as the supreme guide for the execution of our affairs and assignments.

“I urge all the members of our party whose indefatigable commitment, loyalty, and cooperation has led to the success we experienced in recent times, to remain focused and committed to our general ambition as a party, and in the same vein pursuant of our personal political dreams in light of our progressive philosophy.

“As we prepare for the primaries and the election itself, it is time we bind together and close ranks, remembering that the greatest goal is the progress of Edo State, the moving forward of our great homeland, and the betterment of life for all of its people”.