PDP governors, others meet to strategise on Edo governorship polls

• Candidate asks court to disqualify Ize-iyamu as PDP denies attack on Gani Audu
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governors have met in Port Harcourt, Rivers State with a resolve to ensure electoral victory for Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State.

Part of the resolution at the meeting, which was hosted by Rivers State governor, Nyesom Wike, who is the chairman of the National Campaign Council for Edo governorship election, was to ensure that the South-South geopolitical zone remains under the grip of the PDP.

Present at the meeting which held yesterday were the governors of Adamawa State, Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri; his Oyo State counterpart, Seyi Mankinde; Govenror Wike and other members of the national campaign council, chairmen and secretaries of all the sub-committees of Edo 2020.

The meeting was the first held by the governors to work out strategies that will ensure PDP’s victory on September 19, 2020 in the Edo State governorship election since the inauguration of the 77-member National Campaign Council by the National Working Committee of the PDP on July 7, 2020 in Abuja.

After the meeting, which lasted for several hours at the Government House, Port Harcourt, Governor Fintiri said that the meeting adopted the best strategies to retain what rightly belonged to PDP.

Fintiri, who is also the deputy chairman of the campaign council, said that the PDP and the campaign council would work with Edo people to ensure the victory of Governor Obaseki and deepen democracy in the state and the country.

Besides, the National Rescue Movement (NRM) and its candidate in the forthcoming Edo State governorship election, Stevie Nash Ozono, yesterday asked the Federal High Court, Abuja, to disqualify Osagie Ize–Iyamu as candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the September 19, governorship election.

Defendants in the suit dated July 15 and filed same day, include Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), APC, Ize–Iyamu and Gani Audu as first, second, third and fourth defendants, respectively.

The plaintiffs told the court that by virtue of Section 177(c) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), Sections 31 and 153 of the Electoral Act and the guidelines for the submission of candidates of political parties issued by INEC, it is only the political party’s national chairman and the national secretary, who sign a letter forwarding names of the party’s candidate to INEC.

The plaintiffs, however, contended that it was Yobe State Governor, Mai Mala Buni; National Chairman Caretaker, Extra–Ordinary Convention Committee, John Akpan Udoedeghe, and the National Secretary Caretaker, Extra–Ordinary Convention Committee, who signed the letter conveying the names of Osagie Ize-Iyamu and Gani Audu to INEC as the APC governorship candidate and running mate, respectively, for the forthcoming election.

Meanwhile, the Edo State chapter of PDP yesterday said the attack on the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate running mate for the September 19 governorship poll in a Agnese Community, Gani Audu, was not sponsored by the PDP.

A statement in Benin City by the spokesman of the party, Chris Nehikare, stressed, “The People of Agbede in Etsako West Council Area of Edo State, on Sunday, woke up to a protest against one of their sons who they had declared a persona non grata in their town, following his poor performance while serving as chairman of the local government area, and for denying them representation at the state House of Assembly after he was duly elected, but refused to present himself to be sworn into office.