The Edo All Progressives Congress (APC) Elders and Stakeholders’ Forum has urged the party’s leadership to organize an open primary so that a viable candidate for governor may be chosen in the upcoming September election.
Following the appointment of Bassey Out, a fellow governor of Cross River State, to succeed Hope Uzodinma as chairman of the Edo State Governorship Party Primary by the national leadership of the APC, the forum issued the appeal.
The group’s members praised President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the APC for choosing Out to oversee the election, but they cautioned the party and the president against forcing a candidate on the state.
The forum, through a statement signed by its secretary Stephen Aigbe and chairman Matthew Omoregie, condemned the party’s decision to cancel last weekend’s primary, which was overseen by Uzodinma.
The elders commended the party leadership for their quick action in rescheduling the primary, but they cautioned Otu to follow the principles of genuine democracy if he wants his name to be remembered fairly.
Additionally, at a 2016 primary when the people were deprived of the chance to vote their candidate, the group demanded that Tinubu be recalled. Ex-Governor Adams Oshiomhole forced a candidate on the party by taking over the process.