By Chesa Chesa
President Bola Tinubu on Friday hosted All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate for Edo State, Monday Okpebholo, and his running mate, Dennis Idahosa, at the Presidential Villa, ahead of the September poll.
They were accompanied on the visit to the President by a former Governor of the State, Adams Oshiomhole, and the Minister for Niger Delta Development, Abubakar Momoh.
The meeting came barely 24 hours after a Federal High Court in Abuja faulted the primary election of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), which produced Asue Ighodalo as its flag bearer.
While Okpebholo declined to speak with State House correspondents on the outcome of the visit, describing it as a private meeting, Oshiomhole expressed confidence that the APC would emerge victorious in September, especially with the main opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in disarray.
Reacting to speculation that the APC was responsible for the problems in PDP, Oshiomhole said: “I think you should dismiss that because this is PDP versus PDP and you know that by the law, another party cannot go into intra-party conflicts in court. So, if it is convenient for them to explained that you can dismissed it without asking me.
“The fact that there had been division in Edo before their primaries and after their primaries is an open secret, and the issues in dispute are also very open.
“The PDP legacy group complained that the man they gave their master bedroom has completely chased them out of the building and now they’re under the rain and as we speak they are still trying to settle.
“Those who couldn’t find accommodation, we picked them one by one and don’t forget that those in that Osadebe Avenue were my own creation in the sense that I supported Obeseki to become governor and so I have people who still have affection for me.”
“So, this is purely PDP intra-party, and I think the lesson is very clear, namely that parties must be encouraged to obey the laws that regulate the conduct of primaries, and that rules are meant to be obeyed if you formulate your constitution.
“It is the base of the contract between party members. Now, the Electoral Act is meant to ensure that everybody played the game within the rules. So we have nothing to do about it,” he added.
On the reason for the visit, the former governor explained: “We went with the candidate and the running mate to give the President… he is the leader of the party to give him an update on the campaigns going on; what we are doing and the fact that we are harvesting more are more people every day decamping.”
Minister of Niger Delta Development, Momoh, affirmed that the APC has the advantage in the coming election“So, as far as we are concerned, whether court judgment or no court judgment, we are very hopeful and optimistic that 21st September this year, Obaseki will be preparing to leave the Government House,” Momoh said.
