…as primary elections near
Political activities leading up to the 2024 governorship election in Edo State are continuing to hot up as the parties participating in the election get ready to go to the primaries this month to elect their candidates for the main election slated for September 21.
Ahead of the primaries, the three major political parties in the state – People’s Democratic Party (PDP), All Progressives Congress (APC) and Labour Party (LP) – have raked in nearly N1 billion from the sale of expression of interest and nomination forms to a total of 24 aspirants so far, with more aspirants in the Labour Party expected to pick up their forms in the coming days.
The main opposition party in the state, the APC, raised the sum of N600 million from the sale of expression of interest and nomination forms to 12 aspirants at the rates of N10 million for the expression of interest form and N40 million for the nomination form.
The 12 APC aspirants that purchased the expression of interest and nomination forms are Clem Agba, Senator Monday Okpebholo, Lucky Imasuen, Hon Anamero Dekeri, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, Gideon Ikhine, Col. David Imuse (Rtd), Prof Oserhiemen Osunbor, Blessing Agbohmere, Hon Dennis Idahosa, Hon Emmanuel Momoh, and Ernest Afolabi.
The sale of nomination, expression of interest and delegates forms for APC aspirants officially began on January 10 and closed on January 29, 2024, while primary election will be held on February 17, 2024.
The APC, no doubt is determined to field not only the best candidate, but a candidate that can guarantee victory at the polls come September 21. This, perhaps, is evident in the party’s decision to dismiss calls for zoning and adopt direct primaries as a method of selection of its candidate in order to allow for broader participation and proper selection of qualified candidates irrespective of senatorial zone.
It will be recalled there were about 29 people aspiring to fly the APC flag in the election, but a committee lead by Prof Julius Ihonvbere purportedly pruned down the number to six, and later to four. While some aspirants accepted the verdict of the committee, some others rejected it, describing it as a personal arrangement that lacked merit and betrayed the true performance of aspirants.
But the Edo State chapter of the party has since clarified that no aspirant has been screened or disqualified from the governorship race.
The ruling party in the state, the PDP, raised a total of N355 million from the exercise. The party sold the expression of interest form to 11 aspirants at the rate of N5 million per form, amounting to N55 million. Out of the 11, only 10 picked the nomination form, which was sold at N30 million per form, summing up to N300 million.
The 11 PDP aspirants that purchased the expression of interest forms are the Edo State Deputy Governor, Philip Shaibu; former Chairman of Sterling Bank Plc, Asue Ighodalo; former House of Reps member representing Oredo Federal constituency at the National Assembly, Engr. Omoregie Ogbeide-Ihama; daughter of the Esama of Benin Kingdom, Omosede Gabriella Igbinedion; Anselm Usiose Ojezua; Felix Akhabue, Martin Uhomoibhi, Umoru Hadizat, Balogun Sunday, Osaro Onaiwu, and Arthur Esene.
However, while 10 of these picked the nomination form, one of them, Balogun Sunday, did not.
The 10 aspirants have been screened by the Edo State PDP Governorship Screening Committee led by the Plateau State Governor, Caleb Mutfwang, and cleared to contest the priimary election coming up on February 22.
PDP’s sale of the expression of interest and nomination forms officially commenced on January 17 and closed on January 25, while the deadline for the submission of forms was January 27, 2024.
The PDP has opted for an indirect primary election and sanctioned ad-hoc delegates as the means to select its gubernatorial candidate for the upcoming September 21, 2024 governorship election.
In the Labour Party, only one aspirant, Barr. Kenneth Imasuagbon, had picked the expression of interest and nomination forms as at press time, at the rate of N5 million for expression of interest form and N25 million for the nomination form. This means that the party has raised N30 million from the exercise.
The Labour Party officially commenced the sale of expression of interest and nomination forms on January 25 and will close on February 10, 2024. The party fixed February 13 as last day for submission of completed nomination forms and February 22 for its primary election.
The slow uptake of the party’s expression of interest and nomination forms may be as a result of a letter earlier written to the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party by 18 governorship aspirants asking for reduction of the cost of the forms to accommodate more people.
The aspirants said in line with the principles and public perception of the party, the leadership should make the expression of interest form free for all aspirants and peg the nomination form at a cost ranging between N1 million and N5 million, with 50 percent reduction for women and people living with disabilities.
But the party declined, asserting that it is the lowest among the three major political parties.
The Labour Party, in a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh, said “any person who cannot afford that fee does not have the capacity to run for the governorship election”.
Defending the N30 million cost of the forms, Ifoh said that party funding was a major challenge and the reason for the price of the form, as it was the major source of funding for the party.
”We are, therefore, calling on all our intending aspirants to make the necessary sacrifice by participating in the exercise. The party is determined to ensure a level playing field for all the aspirants to ensure that a candidate emerges only through a democratic process,” he said.
