John Alechenu, Abuja
The Governor Caleb Mutfwang-led Peoples Democratic Party Governorship Screening Committee for Edo State, has cleared all ten aspirants who appear before it on Monday.
Eight, out of ten of the aspirants were on hand to receive their clearance certificates from the PDP National Organising Secretary, Capt. Umar Bature (Retd.), at the party’s National Secretariat, Abuja, on Tuesday.
Bature, in a text message, confirmed that “All ten, aspirants were cleared.” One aspirant, Balogun Sunday who paid N5 million and obtained the expression of interest form however didn’t show up for screening because he did not buy the nomination forms.
The ten aspirants cleared are:
- Hon. OMOSEDE Igbinedion
- ANSLEM U. OJEZUA ESQ.
- HON. FELIX E. AKHABUE
- ASUERINME IGHODALO
- HON. COMRADE PHILIPS SHAIBU
- ARTHUR ESENE
- OMOREGIE OGBEDIE IHAMA
- AMB. PROF. MARTIN UHOMOIBH
- OSARO OSAZE ONAIWU
- UMORU ADIZETU HADIZAT
Meanwhile, PDP has promised to ensure that the Edo governorship primary election is free, fair, and credible.
Governor Caleb Mutfwang of Plateau State and the chairman of the screening committee for the primaries stated this when he addressed PDP aspirants at the National Headquarters, Wadata House in Abuja.
His words: “We appreciate the concerns that you all have expressed in asking for a level playing field; we are going to be strong advocates of that. “We will ensure that at the end of the day, we have a transparent process, a process that is fair because I am a beneficiary of that process.
“We will ensure that when all is said and done, we will still work together as one big family,” Mr Mutfwang said.
The Edo Deputy Governor, Philip Shaibu, who spoke on behalf of the aspirants, promised to play by the rules.
Also speaking, another aspirant, Osaro Onaiwu, said that the PDP must strive hard to win the Edo governorship election. Mr Onaiwu, a former director-general of the PDP Governors’ Forum, said that with the right thing being done, all the aspirants would support whoever emerged as the party’s candidate for the election. “Winning Edo is a priority to the party, wining Edo is a must-win for PDP; we cannot allow Edo to slip into the hands of the opposition.
“I have told everyone to drop their ego and support whoever emerges as the PDP candidate for Edo state as long as the process is free, fair and transparent,” Mr Onaiwu said.
He also stressed the need for the PDP to have a reward system for loyal members who had been with it regardless of the storm.
“For instance, I founded the PDP Governor’s forum, so what is my reward and how will you compensate me for holding down the party? “Will I just sit down and allow people who don’t know the meaning of PDP to come and rule? People who do not know what the PDP stands for?
