Just In: APC grants Ize-Iyamu waiver to contest party’s primary

Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu has been granted waiver to contest for the governorship ticket of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Edo State.

The National Working Committee (NWC) of the party on Thursday night granted him a waiver to participate at the party’s primary.

The committee also adopted direct primary option for the emergency of the party’s flagbearer for September 19, 2020 Edo State governorship election.

National Publicity Secretary (NPS) of the party, Mallam Lanre Issa-Onilu who confirmed the news to the Nation in a telephone interview said, “Yes the NWC adopted the direct primary for Edo State and we also granted wavier for a governorship aspirant,” the NPS confirmed.

Ize-Iyamu, believed to be the endorsed candidate of Comrade Adams Oshiomole, National Chairman of the party, recently decamped to the ruling party in the state. He was the gubernatorial candidate of the Edo State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the 2016 Edo State gubernatorial election.

The NWC also adopted the direct primary option for the Edo State APC governorship primary slated for June 22, 2020.

It was gathered that NWC had resolved to adopt the option earlier used in the state for the governorship primary. This the committee further noted would give every card carrying member of the party to determine who the flagbearer is for the state governorship election.

According to the Nation, those at the NWC meeting chaired by the National Chairman, had in attendance, the Deputy National Chairman (South), Senator Abiola Ajimobi, National Vice-Chairman (North-West), Inuwa Abdulkadir and his counterpart from the South-South, Hilliard.

Other are the acting National Secretary, Waziri Bulama, National Organising Secretary, Emma Ibidiro and National Legal Adviser, Babatunde Ogala.

Commending what he called landmark decisions by the National Working Committee, the pro-Oshiomole Edo State APC Chairman, Hon. David Imuse in a telephone interview said the NWC did what is right for Edo State. He also welcomed the wavier granted Ize-Iyamu.

According to the APC chieftain, “the NWC have the constitutional right to do what they have done. The adoption of direct primary is within the capacity of the committee. On Ize-Iyamu, in all political parties, anybody that is seen as an asset to the party, NWC is empowered to grant waiver and they did just that. Ize-Iyamu is an asset to the party and the waiver is welcome by the party,” Imuse stated