By DADA AYOKHAI
Edo State Chapter of the All Progressives Congress ( APC) has refuted a statement credited to a party chieftain, Alhaji Abubakar Akokhia that the party’s governorship aspirants from the North and Central Senatorial Districts of the State, have been directed to step down for a particular aspirant from Edo South.
This was contained in a statement
signed by the State Publicity Secretary of the party, Peter Enosoregbe Uwadiae Igbinigie Esq.,
The refutal was made by the state publicity secretary of the party, Peter Enosoregbe Uwadiae Igbinigie Esq through a Press statement.
According to the party image Maker, the party’s governorship ticket for the 2024 election in the State remains open to the three senatorial zones.
He said
“the Edo APC received with rude shock, the puerile assertions and mundane vituperations of one Alhaji Abubakar Akokhia of Etsako West local government Chapter at an illegally convened meeting of some leaders in the locality where he allegedly announced that intending aspirants from Edo North and Central Senatorial Districts have been advised by the party leaders to step down or drop their ambition for a particular aspirant from Edo South Senatorial District.
“The said Alhaji Abubakar Akokhia also alluded the misgivings that our National leader, senator Adams Aliu Oshiomhole has been inundated with petitions from party faithful which gives unbridled credence to his puerile campaign.
“Let it be known that the party’s previous stand that there is no zoning of the governorship position to any senatorial district of the state remains sacrosanct.
“For the clear avoidance of doubt, nobody from any of the Senatorial Districts will be discouraged or told or barred from contesting the Edo gubernatorial elections provided the person has met the requisite qualifying conditions set out in the 1999 Constitution as Amended and the Electoral Act 2022 and other subsidiary laws incidental to it.
“It is also the party’s position to erase any misgivings that our National leader, senator Adams Aliu Oshiomhole has been inundated with any petition or petitions in respect of and or in connection with any Senatorial District that should produce the next Governor of the State.
“From our background check, the party leaders have discovered that our National leader, Senator Adams Aliu Oshiomhole is not opposed to the party’s position on the issue of zoning, as any member of the party is at liberty to contest for the governorship position of the State.
“Infact, our National leader is positively disposed to a transparent party primary as the exponent of ” one man, one vote ” slogan in the Nigerian political space.
“The party therefore emphatically posited that all that Alhaji Abubakar Akokhia and his co- travellers have said at their illegal meeting are ‘self serving’ as same does not represent the position of the party
because there was no meeting known to the party where such far reaching decisions were taken.
“While we are calling on the public, particularly the party’s governorship aspirants to ignore and reject Akokhia’s assertions, the party have also directed the EXCO of his local government to interrogate him on the nebulous issues callously raised by him.
“The party further advised all aspirants across the State to go about their campaigns in the most dignified manner, while we await the national secretariat on the party primary.”, the statement added.
