Lukman Faults Mode APC Edo Governorship Primary
Edo governor's race will be fiercely contested, according to APC chieftain Lukman.
The Edo State governorship election will be fiercely contested, according to Dr. Salihu Lukman, a former national vice chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the Northwest. This is especially true given the rise of Asue Ighodalo of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Olumide Akpata of the Labour Party, and Senator Monday Okpebholo of the APC.
In a statement released on Saturday, Lukman mentioned that the APC required a well-liked candidate to run against the establishment candidates.
He declared: “What is very clear is that given the emergence of Mr Asue Ighodalo and Mr Olumide Akpata SAN as PDP and Labour Party candidates for the same elections, it should be expected that the election will be keenly contested.
“These are two well-accomplished and respected persons. APC needs a popular candidate for the election to contest against these heavyweights.”
According to Lukman, the fact that he was able to distinguish himself and emerge as the leader of the opposition to the APC's forced candidate for the Edo 2024 election indicates that he has a lot of support within the party.
The leader of the party expressed concern that the ruling party in Edo State appeared to be preparing for yet another catastrophe.
He noted: “The February 17 primary was marred with a series of allegations of malpractices. Everything about the February 17 APC primary election turned out to basically replay all the old scripts of attempts to manipulate the emergence of a particular aspirant as the Governorship candidate of the APC for the September 2024 Edo elections.”
The party chieftain emphasized that, with the exception of Senator Adams Oshiohmole's absence as the APC National Chairman, this was almost exactly the same script that was followed in 2020 to produce Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu as the APC's candidate for governor of Edo State.
Lukman noted: "It was quite worrisome that the APC was almost set up for another electoral disaster in Edo State.
“Without attempting to overlook one of the critical challenges of political party development in Nigeria, which is about instituting a transparently democratic process of the candidate selection process within our political parties, it is a source of pride that the APC NWC under the leadership of Dr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje was able to quickly arrest the drift, which would have confirmed the APC as an undemocratic party.
“Unlike previous cases whereby the Primary Election Committee practically allocates votes to aspirants and declares an anointed person as the winner, it is also commendable that the reorganised APC Primary Election Committee under the leadership of His Excellency Otu chose the path of honour by allowing the fair contest to produce the winner of the primary.”
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