Edo guber: PDP clears 3 for primaries, as group condemn desperate moves by aspirants

Five-member screening committee led by Prof Tunde Adeniran has cleared three governorship aspirants of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to contest the governorship primary election of the party in Edo State slated for next week Monday.
The aspirants namely, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, Matthew Uduoriyekemwen and Solomon Edebiri, were given a clean bill of health by the screening committee sent to Edo State by the national caretaker committee of the party.
Besides, Adeniran a former Minister for Education, other members of the committee, Senator Joshua Lidani as secretary, George Abiye Sekibo, Ndubuisi Nwigwe and Hon Farouk Yahaya as members, held a closed door interactive session with the aspirants that lasted about two hours.
This is even as Coalition of Registered Political Parties, CRPP, in Edo has condemned acts of desperation by some governorship aspirants who are indulging in what they called criminal and fraudulent purchase of Permanent Voters Cards, PVCs, ahead of the scheduled primaries of the All Progressives Congress, APC, on Saturday in the state.
Chairman of the CRPP in the state, Dr. Samson Isibor speaking at a press conference held in Benin City, urged leadership and all the governorship aspirants of the APC to ensure a level playing field, transparent voting and a rancour free process in the conduct of the primaries to elect the party’s candidate without molestation and intimidation.
Isibor also harped on the need for the National leadership of the APC to make necessary security arrangements for the safety of all the delegates at the venue of the primaries.
One of the aspirants, Matthew Uduoriyekemwen, who spoke with journalists after the screening, described the exercise as thorough, pointing out that they were asked questions bothering on their qualifications, loyalty and commitment to the PDP, resourcefulness and support, leadership qualities, political structure, and others.
The committee chairman, Prof Adeniran, , who spoke with journalists after the screening exercise that was conducted at the state secretariat of the PDP, said the three aspirants passed the screening exercise as they met all the conditions stipulated.
He said, “Three of the governorship aspirants were screened one after the other and we found them very worthy. They have met the relevant criteria and conditions stipulated in the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and off course, the requirements of the Independent National Electoral Commission.
“The screening exercise has been undertaken, (it was) very thorough and we are indeed very proud as a party, that we have a very wonderful and patriotic Nigerians and committed party leaders from Edo state who have shown interest in vying for the candidacy of our great party.”
He disclosed that the aspirants have agreed to work with whoever emerged as the party’s standard bearer during the June 20 primary election.
When asked by journalists if the crisis at the national level of the party would not affect the party in Edo State, Prof Adeniran said some people were being used to create crisis in the party, adding that the “PDP will overcome the matter and will not allow those being sponsored to have their way.”
Commenting on imposition of candidates, Prof Adeniran said the PDP has learnt lessons from the outcome of the 2015 general election, adding that, due process would be followed and a level playing field would be provided for all the aspirants.

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