Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja
Ahead of Edo State Governorship Primary Election scheduled for February 17, the National Working Committee (NWC) of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has shut down the clamour for zoning.
The Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the party, Duro Meseko, disclosed this at a news conference yesterday in Abuja, while briefing journalists on the outcome of the meeting with Edo State APC stakeholders held at the national secretariat of the party on Monday night.
He added that the party has also adopted the direct mode of primary for picking its candidate for the Edo election.
Meseko stated: “In view of the large number of aspirants, 29, as of last night, the NWC urged stakeholders to unite and see to how we can achieve some reasonable number of aspirants.
“The stakeholders were urged to devise methods to agree on some form of consensus to trim the number of Aspirants.
“The NWC urged aspirants to be disciplined and shun the temptation of rushing to the courts immediately after primaries. There will be no zoning. Not at all.”
Meseko noted that the ruling party would attach a letter of undertaking to its nomination forms which aspirants were expected to sign to indicate that whatever the outcome of the primary election, they would not go to court.
“Only one of the 29 aspirants has picked his Expression of Interest and Nomination Forms, urging stakeholders to work towards pruning the number to a manageable size,” he said.
Earlier, the National Chairman of the party, Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje, said the meeting was to discuss important issues about having an election in September this year.
“Edo is an APC state. You know one of us went on sabbatical leave, and he decided to take up a permanent appointment.
“Since we were sworn in as the new or reformed NWC, we said it would not be business as usual because our party as a progressive party is supposed to be a party with clear-cut objectives.
“Now we have to take Edo back. We have only one state from the South-south for the greatest party in Africa. It is not acceptable.
“We were able to get only Cross River State. After crossing so many rivers we succeeded in getting Cross River State. But Edo State, we must get it by the grace of God.”
Meanwhile, the leader of the party in the state, Senator Adams Oshiomhole, has said he and other stakeholders were determined to reclaim Edo.
He said democracy based on popular participation might be more difficult but could not be faulted, saying, “it allows us to build consensus.”
