Edo 2020: Obaseki Insists On Indirect Primary, Says Direct Mode Breaches COVID-19 Rules

Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki has insisted that the mode of election for the governorship primary of the All Progressive Congress (APC) in the state will be indirect.

Obaseki said the direct mode adopted by the APC National Working Committee, serves the coronavirus guidelines, gazetted in newspapers on Friday, in the breach.

The guideline reffered to by the governor partly read: “That in respect of political gatherings for the purpose of conducting primaries for any of the parties desiring to field candidates in the forthcoming gubernatorial election, gatherings of more than 20 persons may be allowed, subject to the written approval of the Governor, if such gatherings do not exceed 5,000 persons; hold in Benin City and in a single facility with a large seating capacity of not less than 10,000 persons; are provided with adequate health, safety, and sanitary facilities and are COVID-19 response compliant with social distancing policy, hand-washing and proper use of face masks fully observed.”

The governor appears to be capitalising on the provisions of the rule which empowers him to either approve or deny a gathering more than 20 persons for such electoral exercise.

Obaseki, speaking through his Special Adviser on Media and Communication Strategy, Mr. Crusoe Osagie, on Saturday, said “the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 has said in its briefings that states should manage the pandemic through measures unique to their states”.

“On the basis of that, we have deployed this measure in Edo State, the rule has been gazetted and so direct primaries cannot hold here as far as that regulation is concerned. So, it has to be indirect, in order to be working in line with the extant rule in the state,” he added.

The governor therefore stated that indirect mode for the June 22 primary election is safer amidst the pandemic, for it will require less number of people and in one location.

“The only mode of primary that is permissible according to that law is indirect primaries, and we believe it is correct to do so because for that option, it is just one location and you can deploy all agencies of government responsible for ensuring compliance with the protocols,” he said.

On the party’s national chairman, Adam Oshiomhole’s letter to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) that the party had adopted a direct mode as its preferred for the primary election, Obaseki’s spokesman said “he (Oshiomhole) can write, and the fact that he wrote doesn’t mean that is what is going to happen. The rules have to be followed. Don’t forget that the first responsibility of the governor is to protect the lives and property of the people.”

However, when contacted, the spokesperson for the electoral umpire, Festus Okoye said the commission’s rules, regulations and laws allowed it to only relate with the national chairman and national secretary of political parties, insisting that the decision of the party chairman will be followed.

The likelihood of a clash between the governor, the party and its electoral organisers and INEC is glaring as it is unclear whose authority will prevail; Obaseki’s or INEC.

The APC governorship primary election in the state is just two weeks away.

Whatever mode prevails, the governor will compete for the APC ticket against his 2016 opponent, Ossgie Ize-Iyamu, who is believed to have the backing of the party’s national chairman.