• I have no regrets dumping LP, says Azemhe Azena
At least 12 governorship aspirants of the All Progressives Congress (APC) will participate in today’s primary to decide its gubernatorial candidate for the September 21 governorship election in Edo State.
However, one of the governorship aspirants, Osagie Ize-Iyamu, yesterday, withdrew from the race and the APC primary scheduled for today.
Briefing newsmen in his GRA residence in Benin City, Ize-Iyamu said his decision is in the interest of peace and party’s unity.
Ize-Iyamu disclosed a letter has been sent to the party’s acting chairman in the state, Emperor Jarrett Tenebe.
Criticism have, nonetheless, continued to trail the screening of aspirants prior to today’s primary election over allegations of imposition and pruning of the aspirants’ list as well as refusal to zone the governorship ticket to the alleged marginalised people of Edo Central Senatorial district.
The aspirants jostling for the ticket in today’s primary are Prof. Oserhiemen Osunbor, General Charles Ehigie Airhiavbere (rtd), former Deputy Governor of Edo State, Mr. Lucky Imasuen and immediate past Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Dr. Ernest Afolabi Umakhihe.
Others include, Dr. David Imuse (rtd), member House of Representatives, Mr. Dennis Idahosa; Senator Monday Okpebholo, former Minister of State for Budget and National Planning, Prince Clem Agba; Gideon Ikhine, member House of Representatives, Mr. Anamero Dekeri and Blessing Agbomhere.
The APC disclosed that the primary would be holding across the 192 wards in 18 local councils of the state through direct primary.
According to the party’s National Chairman, Dr Abdullahi Ganduje, the schedule of activities for the election, as released by the APC, showed that campaigns would start on April 24.
Meanwhile, a governorship aspirant on the platform of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Senior Pastor, Omega Fire Ministry, Pastor Azemhe Azena, has said he left the Labour Party, because he was no longer comfortable with recent happenings in the party.
Azemhe said he wanted a political party that shares the same ideology as him, which can make a difference in improving the lives of the citizenry.
He made this disclosure to newsmen in Benin City, noting that those ideologies suddenly disappeared like early morning dew.
He said the competition in his new party is not too much, as it is only three aspirants that will be going for the party’s primary.
He added that the party only charged N11m for both expression of interest and nomination forms because the party is not built on capital orientation.
The governorship aspirant promised that his government would make all Edo residents smile if elected as governor.
