EDO2020 - Obaseki Maintains Firm Grip Of 192 Wards, 18 LGAs: Can't Be Beaten In A Free, Fair, Square And Credible Primary
By Eseosa Ewere
One would have thought that at this time and as the Edo primary election fast approaches, considering the political fireworks that currently surrounds the Edo political firmament, just like it were in Lagos when the love between Ambode and Tinubu turned cold, and just before the primary election that would have secured a second term ticket for Ambode, over 97% of his appointees had tendered their resignation letters abandoning the Governor on the instructions of the much touted godfather of Lagos politics, Tinubu
Indeed, Edo is not Lagos, Oshiomhole is not Tinubu and Obaseki is not Ambode; this is the epistemic phraseology that we on the side of Gov. Godwin Obaseki holds very dear in our vow that the humiliation meted on Ambode, living him stranded, naked and helpless at Alausa cannot, must not and will not happen to Gov. Godwin Obaseki on Edo soil
Yes, the kangaroo endorsement of Ize-Iyamu by a 7-man committee in Abuja and the purchase of the nomination form by same might have come and gone, it is a funny and laughable development that a man who wants to be Governor of Edo State had to be smuggled to Abuja to secure a stereotyped consensus, and one would expect right thinking Edo people to consider such group popular?
Whereas Ambode lost touch with his immediate appointees, his kitchen cabinet and most trusted allies and even the Lagos political and traditional class, Obaseki maintains a firm grip of the political structure in Edo State; from the 192 wards at the grassroot straight up to the 18 Local Government Areas, the government house and all the administrative paraphernalia, he has lost not one Council Chairman, not a Ward Chairman and not one Executive; he has the backing of the Edo State APC and commands huge followership across the State
The Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki has a firm grip of the 192 wards, 18 Local Government Areas and the thousands of units that makes up the electoral geographical value of Edo State
One would have thought that Adams Oshiomhole, in his obsession to become the god of Edo politics, would naturally possess such political command to actualize his limited objective of unseating Godwin Obaseki; as we speak, the aspiring godfather does not control any of the ward Chairmen, as we speak, none of the 18 Council bosses, no Commissioner, not one SA, SSA, Special Assistant is answerable to Adams Oshiomhole, the Chief of Staff, the SSG, the Deputy Governor, all appointees at the Local Government level are fully with the Governor of Edo State and are determined to re-elect him this year
If Oshiomhole and his EPM were as popular and grassrooted as they claim, why do they shiver at the mention of indirect primary even when the Governor has maintained that direct or indirect primary, he will win; I expect them to tow the line of the Governor by making the same declaration and following same; rather they continue to vassilitate around direct primary consisting of all party members so as to be able to execute their heinous plan of bulk-printing membership cards to distribute to strangers, non-party men from unknown locations to queue and vote
Results from direct primary cannot be taken to the bank, direct primary is haphazard, disorganized, uncontrolled and cannot reflect the actual number of party members; results from direct primary can be skewed, upturned, manuevered, irregularized and very unreliable, especially as the APC which is suppose to update her party register every 6 months have not done that in years; hence the Edo State APC in its wisdom, considering the health risks a direct primary poses for Edo APC members and by extension, citizens, amid a deadly COVID-19 pandemic, adopted the indirect primary election methodology, consisting of a definite number of delegates for which number of delegates will and must reflect at the conclusion of voting; the indirect primary which the Edo State APC has adopted can best produce reliable, dependable and time-tested result and saves lives in this era of a deadly disease
Their insistence on direct primary gives credence to insinuations making the rounds of intentions to hatch the electoral irregularities, fraud already perfected which however will be frontally resisted by the overwhelming majority of members of the APC and right thinking Edo people who stand solid, strong with Godwin Obaseki, and as the June 22 primary election approaches, with the Obaseki-led administration maintaining its vibrancy, firmness and stronghold on the 192 wards, 18 Local Government Areas and the thousands of units that makes up the electoral geographical area of Edo State, it will be impossible to beat the Governor in a free, fair, transparent and credible primary
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