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By Ehichioya Ezomon

If Senator Adams Oshiomhole’s testing the waters to re-enact his 2016 imposition of a candidate on the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Edo State, he’s failed spectacularly in the plot, with pleas by members to President Bola Tinubu and the APC leadership to call him to order, to avoid another defeat for the party, as in 2020, blamed on Oshiomhole.

Hell was unchained in the APC on January 19 when words spread that a shadowy “screening committee” had reduced from 29 to 10, to six, and to four the number of aspirants angling for the party ticket. Fingers were pointed at Oshiomhole, as scheming “to eliminate unwanted aspirants,” and “impose a certain aspirant” as the party candidate.

In 2016, Governor Oshiomhole unilaterally picked a Lagos-based businessman, Mr Godwin Obaseki, for the governorship. But they’re to part ways, as Obaseki accused Oshiomhole of dictating to him like a godfather – which Oshiomhole indeed assumed to swing the governorship for Obaseki.

The rift led Oshiomhole – as the national chairman of the APC – to deny Obaseki the ticket for re-election in 2020, prompting Obaseki to defect to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and won the poll.

But lately, Oshiomhole’s accused of reviving his relationship with Obaseki, to undermine the APC, by screening out prominent aspirants, and installing a “criminal,” who’s indicted by an investigation panel instituted by Oshiomhole in 2015.

Theconclaveng.com online, which first reported the “rumours” about the screening, stated that the committee, led by House of Representatives Majority Leader, Prof. Julius Ihonvbere, initially reduced the number of aspirants from 29 to 10, but was “prevailed” upon by Oshiomhole to trim the list to six of two aspirants each from Edo South, Edo North and Edo Central of Edo State.

Noting that, “the panel on Thursday night (January 18) achieved a list of six aspirants, the report added: “The list, as learnt, comprises, from Edo North, the immediate past minister of state for Budget and National Planning, Prince Clem Agba and a retired permanent secretary in the Federal Civil Service, Dr Ernest Umakhihe.

“From Edo Central, serving Senator Monday Okpebholo and the immediate past state chairman of the APC, Col. David Imuse (retd); and from Edo South, a serving member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Dennis Idahosa and former Deputy Governor Lucky Imasuen. Barring any last-minute change(s) in plans, the party is expected to formally announce this outcome today (January 19).”

Instead, the National Working Committee (NWC) of the APC disclaimed the committee, stating that the screening and clearance of aspirants would be undertaken by a committee to be constituted by the NWC “in accordance with its Constitution,” the national publicity secretary of the APC, Mr Felix Morka, said in a statement.

Morka added: “As stipulated in the released APC timetable and schedule of activities for Edo gubernatorial election, all interested aspirants are to make prescribed payments into the party’s approved bank accounts,” and “collect their expression of interest and nomination forms from the party’s national secretariat.”

Similarly, the Edo State chapter of the APC, via its publicity secretary, Mr Peter Uwadiae, told journalists on January 23 that, “There is no truth in the news that governorship aspirants have been screened and about 25 have been disqualified.”

“Based on the advice of the National Working Committee of the party, we set up a committee, led by Julius Ihonvbere, to interface with the aspirants on the need to reduce the number of aspirants to a manageable one. It is after the close of sale of forms that the NWC will set up a screening committee,” Uwadiae said.

Urging members and supporters of the APC not to get agitated, as “the party believes in unity, fair play and democracy,” Uwadiae said the sale of expression of interest and nomination forms at N50m was ongoing, and that members aspiring for the governorship should obtain the forms. Yet, the purported screening sparked instant reactions, with many chastising Oshiomhole.

How did Edo APC get into the storming controversy? Comrade Oshiomhole may’ve capitalised on the innocuous plea by the NWC to the aspirants to trim their number.

Reading the resolution of the Edo State APC stakeholders meeting on the governorship on January 16, the deputy national publicity secretary, Hon. Duro Meseko, said, “Given the large numbers of aspirants jostling for the party’s ticket in Edo State, the NWC urged the stakeholders to unite in trimming the number of aspirants.”

Also, the APC national chairman, Dr Abdullahi Ganduje, counselling on how to improve, deepen and widen internal democracy, said, “We have to be transparent, and at the same time, we have to adopt a guided democracy where we can discuss issues so that we limit, if possible, the number of contestants.”

During the consultative meeting on January 15, Oshiomole, vowing APC’s return to power in Edo State, told the NWC that stakeholders in the state chapter had embarked on dialogue with the aspirants, “to get their understanding for a rancour-free primary and eventually win the governorship election.”

“It is no secret that at the time we had the dialogue, I think they (aspirants) were 27. I learnt they have increased to 29 now. The process is ongoing, and the struggle continues,” Oshiomhole said.

He didn’t reveal what the dialogue was really about, which’s aimed at reducing the number of aspirants – an action that now threatens the primaries and APC’s hopes for the governorship. Hence Oshiomhole’s come under fire!

Frontline aspirant and two-time candidate, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu – stressing his cordial relationship with Oshiomhole he describes as “my senior brother and the leader of our party and a distinguished senator” – dismissed the screening as “rumour,” telling his supporters that he’s in the race to win the ticket and the election, and that he’d obtain the nomination forms “next week” (last week), which he’s done.

(As reported by The Nation, a check at the directorate of organisation of the APC in Abuja on January 24 shows that eight aspirants had purchased the forms. They include Pastor Ize-Iyamu, Prince Agba, Senator Okpebholo, Mr Imasuen, Hon. Anamero Dekeri, Mr Gideon Ikhine, Col. Imuse (retd) and Maj.- Gen. Charles Airhiavbere (retd)).

Arriving at the Benin airport from a parley with the APC leadership in Abuja, Ize-Iyamu, as first reported by Vanguard, told a huge crowd of supporters and some APC leaders that there is nothing to worry about.

“The highest organ of our party issued a statement, particularly on Edo governorship election, and specifically said that all those who have aspiration to run for governorship should go and collect the forms,” Ize-Iyamu said.

“And that they (NWC) are the only one to set up a screening committee, which they will do at the appropriate time. And if you look at the earlier time table released, you will find the schedule there.”

Ize-Iyamu noted that when you are contesting for an election, “there are bound to be intrigues and all kinds of rumours and stories,” adding that, “I know there were rumours that some people have been excluded but by that NWC release, that is not possible anymore.”

“The only people that can exclude aspirants is the committee set up by the NWC. Let me announce that by next week, I will collect the form. And I want to assure you that I will contest and win the election,” Ize-Iyamu said.

The New Telegraph reports that one of the “screened out” aspirants, Dr Blessing Agbomhere, said that, though “Oshiomhole is a leader who is revered and loved by many people,” he won’t allow his love for him to overwhelm his sense of reasoning and good judgment, and allow Oshiomhole to make another mistake in choosing the next Edo governor, “considering what his choice of Obaseki has cost the members of the APC and the good people of the state.”

Agbomhere alleged that Oshiomhole’s scheming to install a candidate with “criminal record,” wondering how Oshiomhole – whose Administrative Panel in 2015 confirmed the global criminal activities of the aspirant – “now wants to anoint him as APC’s candidate for the governorship election.”

“Edo State parades a good number of men and women who are qualified to govern it,” Agbomhere said. “It is wrong, disrespectful, and divisive to screen out all these men who have paid their dues to the party and the state only to pave the way for a nonentity, who can only be remembered for his alleged criminal record.

“Edo people are too sophisticated to accept the imposition of a candidate on them and will definitely lose faith in the APC and cast their ballots for other parties in the contest.”

Noting that the NWC “has condemned the clandestine move to destroy the goodwill that the party enjoys in Edo State,” Agbomhere commended the party leadership “for opening up the space again for all 30 aspirants to sell themselves to the people of Edo State, as it would have been catastrophic if they folded their arms and allowed anybody to toy with the party’s glorious opportunity to reclaim the governorship seat in the state.”

A group of Concerned Edo APC Stakeholders noted in a statement signed by 10 of the members, first reported by TheNewsGuru.com, that Oshiomhole “does not have the authority to constitute a screening committee,” as he’s neither the national chairman of the APC nor a member of the NWC, even as the group admitted that the six-man committee was constituted under the leadership of Oshiomhole, to interface with the aspirants and make recommendations on how the number could be reduced, and dispelled the notion that it’s a screening committee.

“We would like to state for the records that Comrade Oshiomhole does not have the authority to constitute a screening committee, as he is neither the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress nor a member of the NWC. Furthermore, only aspirants who have completed and submitted their forms, can be screened by the committee established by the NWC for this purpose,” the group said.

“The scheduled date for the screening of aspirants, as outlined in the approved timetable by the NWC, is between 8th and 9th February 2024. The Oshiomhole committee unlawfully assumed the functions of the NWC and (members) were unfortunately coerced by Comrade Oshiomhole to submit a report in variance of their earlier recommendation, which is in the public domain.”

The stakeholders said Edo people were shocked when the news broke that the Oshiomhole committee initially recommended 10 names among the aspirants, “and on meeting with Comrade Oshiomhole, was told to further remove some names and make the total six.”

“It is worth noting that Comrade Oshiomhole’s previous usurpation of nomination powers, as witnessed in the nomination of Godwin Obaseki and Philip Shuaibu as governor and deputy governor, respectively, in 2016, resulted in the party’s opposition status in Edo State today. It is evident that he intends to repeat this indelible error in 2024,” the group said.

“It is common knowledge that Comrade Oshiomhole has a personal interest on who becomes the Edo State governor. We, therefore, reject Comrade Oshiomhole’s undue influence and demand that he steers clear of the Edo 2024 APC governorship primaries.

“We hereby call on the national chairman of the APC, H.E Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje, His Excellency President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and other well-meaning party leaders in Edo State and across Nigeria, to intervene and restrain Comrade Oshiomhole and his co-travelers. The APC in Edo State should not be plunged into unnecessary crisis ahead of the 2024 governorship election.

The League of Patriotic Lawyers, through its chairman, Mallam Abubakar Yesufu, decried the “disqualification of political heavyweights,” such as Pastor Ize-Iyamu, Chief Chris Ogiemwonyi, and Gen. Airhiavbere (retd), “to pave the way for Osiomhole’s ‘anointed candidates,'” and asked President Tinubu to call Oshiomhole to order “over his excesses in Edo State.”

Accusing Oshiomhole of ensuring that “aspirants with political structures and fibers were shoved aside, to give wings to the candidates that the PDP would easily defeat,” Mr Yesufu said the former governor “shouldn’t have been allowed to handle such a sensitive position that affects the political future of Edo State,” and advised Tinubu to be circumspect in accepting the so-called list, as “it does not contain the best materials.”

“Whilst not trying to impugn on the credibility of the committee and so-called ‘cleared’ candidates, Mr President should take a second and serious look at the rejected names,” Yesufu said, alleging that “Osiomhole’s recent romance with Asue Ighodaro, Obaseki’s ‘anointed candidate,’ shows that he’s indeed a mole planted to destabilise APC in Edo State.”

He recalled how Oshiomhole “told the world that Pastor Ize-Iyamu was a ‘Devil’ when he wanted to plant Obaseki about eight years ago, and went further to endorse Ize-Iyamu as ‘the best candidate’ when he fell out with Obaseki, an action which cost the party’s march to Osadebey Avenue (Government House in Benin City).”

“Osiomhole’s recent activities are dangerous to the chances of the APC, and action should be taken to ensure the party does not lose in the next off-circle election slated for September 2024,” Yesufu said in a statement on January 20.

Denying Oshiomhole’s alleged plan to impose a candidate on the APC members in Edo State, his spokesman, Simon Ebegbulem, said the former governor “is a thorough-bred APC leader, who will not work against the party but is committed to ensuring that Edo State returns to APC in the next election.”

“The screening committee merely adopted a mechanism to prune down the long list of aspirants, to avoid waste of funds, and ensure the unsuccessful ones team behind and mobilise support for the best candidate who would consequently emerge,” Ebegbulem told New Telegraph.

Politicians never say die, and Oshiomhole – a talkaive labour veteran and brilliant political tactician – may yet have some “tricks” up his sleeve, to ensure his “anointed” aspirant gain the APC ticket for the crucial September 21 election. The party members have to be “watchful and prayerful” to derail his imposition plot!

* Mr Ezomon, Journalist and Media Consultant, writes from Lagos, Nigeria.