…Describe gov’s disqualification ‘a theatre of political fraud’
Moments after Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State dumped the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) for what he ascribed to injustice, the Chairmen of the 18 Local Government Areas (LGAs) in the State reaffirmed their support for his re-election bid.
They noted their full commitment to the progressive ideals of the governor and his battle against godfatherism, thuggery and impunity in Edo State.
In a statement signed on Tuesday by the Chairman, Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON), Edo State, Hon. Jenkins Osunde and the 17 other council chairmen in the state, the association described the disqualification of Governor Obaseki from the All Progressives Congress (APC) primary election as a theater of political fraud.
Such theater of political fraud, they alleged was staged with predetermined outcomes and decisions sponsored by the surrogates of the APC National Chairman, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole.
The chairmen noted, “We the undersigned Local Government Chairmen of all the 18 area councils in Edo State have held an emergency meeting to review what we consider an outrageous and undemocratic process of both the screening exercise as well as the prejudiced decision consequently reached.”
“We therefore observe and resolve that the entire screening exercise prior to the beginning and during the process itself was submerged in various surreptitious conduct which in fact cast thick clouds of doubts on the legitimacy and fairness of what should have been an otherwise historic and democratic step for our party.
“That various actions by the Screening Committee, particularly by the way it sought to specifically create malicious publicity regarding Governor Godwin Nogheghase Obaseki, has thus confirmed the previously held impression that the screening exercise was a theatre of political fraud staged with predetermined outcomes and decisions sponsored by the surrogates of the APC National Chairman, Mr. Adams Oshiomhole.”
They added that on closely reviewing the activities of the screening committee, it was infallible to posit that the decision to disqualify the Governor constituted a profound affront to decent internal democratic practices of a respectable political party, noting, “The result of the screening exercise was incontestably aimed at diluting the mass-base electoral support for the incumbent Governor by engendering the perception that His Excellency had doubts to clear about his profile.”
The LGA chairmen said that rather than weaken the overwhelming popular support for the Governor, the dubious disqualification by the committee has caused a buoyant and enthusiastic response of support for the Governor across all the senatorial zones of the state.
The chairmen reiterated their support for Governor Obaseki’s reelection bid, noting, “That as the chairmen of the third tier, people-oriented paradigm of Nigeria’s Federalism, we carry with us the hopes and aspirations of our constituencies as we reaffirm our commitment to the progressive agenda of continuity till 2024 for the Governor. All the way with Obaseki and Shaibu.”
