Four leading Edo State governorship aspirants on the platform of the All Progressives Congress have rejected the Governor of Imo State, Senator Hope Uzodimma, as the Chairman of the primary election committee.
The aspirants said they do not trust Uzodimma to conduct a free and fair poll owing to the controversy on Saturday.
The aspirants are Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, Chief Lucky Imasuen, Senator Monday Okpebholo and General Charles Airhiavbere (retd).
The development came barely 24 hours to the rerun of the governorship primary in the state.
Recall that the APC had announced on Tuesday after an emergency meeting of its National Working Committee at the secretariat in Abuja that the primary election was inconclusive and a fresh poll would be conducted on February 22.
In the aftermath of the previous election, Uzodimma had announced Dennis Idahosa as the winner, while the Returning Officer, Stanley Ugboaja, declared Monday Okpebholo as the winner.
Ojo Babatunde, who claimed to be representing the Returning Officers in all the local government areas, declared Anamero Dekeri as the winner of the election.
Reacting to the rerun election in a joint statement, the four aspirants insisted that they no longer have confidence in the capacity of Uzodimma’s committee to conduct the election.
Ize-Iyamu, Imasuen, Okpebholo and Airhiavbere argued that Uzodimma did not observe the minimum requirements for compliance with the relevant provisions of the laws and regulations guiding the election as provided both in the Electoral Act and in the APC Constitution.
The statement read: “We strongly believe that whatever was responsible for his flagrant disregard for due process and unusual hasty declaration of unconfirmed fictitious results of the primaries outside the designated collation centre may not have abated from his mind, and therefore may be repeated if given the opportunity to play the same role as chairman in the process.
“In the circumstance, we are calling on Mr. President to kindly use his good offices to replace Senator Hope Uzodimma with any other respected member of our great party, as chairman whom the President strongly believes will comply with the law, maintain internal democracy, protect and defend the integrity and goodwill of the President which he has attained over the years that endeared him to both national and international stakeholders.
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“Furthermore, we believe that this is the only way to remedy the ridicule and embarrassment that Uzodimma’s tactless and overzealous behaviour, which in the view of keen observers of happenings in the ongoing process of nominating a viable candidate of our party, runs within the borderline of mischief and clotted with antidemocratic vestments, unknown to law.
“We have implicit confidence in Mr. President’s devotion to justice, equity, and fairness in the process that will produce the governorship candidate of our party in Edo State which is now rescheduled for tomorrow 22nd February 2024, and also ensure victory for our party in the governorship election that is scheduled for September 2024.”
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