Incumbency doesn’t guarantee victory – Oshiomhole

Fielding questions on speculations that Governor Obaseki was planning to defect to the PDP

Comrade Oshiomhole, said that all was set for conduct of the party’s primaries for the three aspirants cleared by the Screening Committee on June 22.

Speaking to State House correspondents after a meeting between the National Working Committee, NWC, and Chief of Staff to the President, Professor Ibrahim Gambari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, Oshiomhole said that the party is optimistic that Governor Obaseki as a party member will allow conduct of direct primaries in all wards in the state next week.

Asked if the APC was not worried that Governor Obaseki might be given ticket by the PDP, he said, “All those who decamped with Saraki, all lost. Those who did not decamp, Bauchi, Adamawa, sitting governors lost.

“Even Governor Kayode Fayemi, as a sitting governor, was defeated by (Ayodele) Fayose so there is no evidence that being a sitting governor guarantees you victory; it all depends on the local sentiments in the state.”

Asked whether the party is prepared for the primaries, he said: “We have gone a long way. We have advertised the time-table, there was the stage of collection of forms and about six people collected forms. In that time-table we also provided for screening and we also provided for appeals arising from the screening.

“This is standard practice that the NWC has adopted since 2015 and in the case of Edo, we have completed the process of selling forms, we have also completed the process of screening, we have completed the process of appeals arising from the screening by those who wish to take advantage and the NWC has met and has reviewed the report of the screening committee.

“We were unanimous that the screening was thoroughly done and found that three people were eligible to contest, with regard to the provisions of our constitution.

“We have these three gentlemen on parade to contest the primaries, which has been slated for the 22nd of June, in line with the provisions of our Constitution, we will do direct primaries. It’s more democratic, less susceptible to corrupt practices and it makes the party to be membership-driven.

“It’s always for me something interesting that after you have picked your candidate by a handful of elites, you’ll now organise a rally to introduce to the members who is going to contest an election. They are supposed to bring the members to us and we can only achieve that through direct primaries.

“So we are doing everything possible, having completed the issue of screening and we have upheld the result of the screening committee, we are proceeding now to conduct the primaries, God willing, on the 22nd of June in Edo State.”

Asked if any of the disqualified aspirants appealed their disqualification, he said that one of the aspirants approached the Appeal Committee, but the disqualification was upheld but he declined to mention the name of the aspirant.