The immediate past Governor of Ekiti State, Dr. Kayode Fayemi has commended the Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje-led National Working Committee of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the decision to cancel and reschedule the party’s controversial gubernatorial primarily in Edo State.
A former Chairman of the Nigerian Governors Forum, Fayemi, however, strongly condemned what he described as the “questionable role” of a former governor of the state, Senator Adams Oshiomhole in the truncation of the initial exercise.
On Tuesday, the National Working Committee (NWC) of the APC declared the governorship primary election in the state inconclusive, and said that it would be concluded on Thursday. Several claims of victory were made by some governorship aspirants after last weekend’s primary election.
In a statement on Thursday, said that the NWC’s decision had restored the confidence of members of the Edo State chapter of the party in a “fair, impartial, and transparent exercise and showed that the APC is interested in producing a popular candidate”.
Fayemi also applauded the leader of the party, President Bola Tinubu for not interfering and allowing due process on the primary election.
“I wish to thank the President for allowing the Party to function independently on this sensitive issue and thus assure our teeming members in Edo State that the process for the gubernatorial primary will be free, fair, and transparent”, he said.
Fayemi recalled that Oshiomhole, who was also APC National Chairman, had played a “disruptive” role in the last gubernatorial election in the state, which ultimately made the party lose to the opposition.
“Ideally, as a leader, he should have ensured a level playing field for all the aspirants but he was trying to impose a candidate in a manner that’s not free and fair”, Fayemi said.
He added: ‘’Earlier, Oshiomhole had attempted to eliminate some aspirants from contesting in the primary and failed. This is reminiscent of his high-handedness as National Chairman when he manipulatively schemed Governor Godwin Obaseki out of the electoral process. That action led to the unfortunate loss of Edo State by the APC.
“It would appear the ground was being prepared by Oshiomhole yet again for the APC to lose the coming election in Edo State because of his unconscionable behaviour. However, the party has demonstrated independence and impartiality in cancelling and reordering the primaries.
‘’We hope the fresh primaries will now take place in an atmosphere deemed free and fair by all, for the sake of our great party.
‘’Oshiomhole may decide to support any of the aspirants if he chooses not to be neutral but the process must be open, free, and transparent, following the laid down rules. My interest is the APC and the party must put its best foot forward in the forthcoming elections”.
