PDP wants Edo as 740 delegates elect governorship candidate

– The All Progressives Congress (APC) held its governorship primaries on Saturday, June 18 at the Samuel Ogbemudia stadium in Benin City, the Edo state capital 

– In a fallout to that election, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is holding its own primary election to elect its governorship candidate for the September, 2016 Edo state governorship election 

– At least 740 delegates are involved in the exercise which kicked off in the morning of Monday, June 20 About 740 delegates were accredited under the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), on Monday, June 20, in Benin City, in order to elect the sole candidate of the party for the Edo state governorship poll. READ ALSO: Edo governorship race: Many politicians will cry – APC The exercise is in preparation for the Saturday, September 10 governorship election.

The process which started around 9:30 in the morning was being conducted at the same time at three different centres with Okada House on Urubi Street hosting delegates from Edo South. While, delegates from Edo North are being accredited at JBS Estate and the accreditation for those from Edo Central is taking place at the party’s secretariat at First East Circular Road.

The political heavyweights who are slugging it out for the governorship candidacy at the primaries and who bought the party’s nomination forms at the PDP’s headquarters in Benin at N16 million are Chief Solomon Edebiri, Mr Osagie Ize-Iyamu and Mr Mathew Uduoeyekemwen, all from Edo South. The chairman for the primary election is Governor David Umahi of Ebonyi state. Governor Umahi had earlier announced that the process would take place at the Samuel Ogbemudia stadium, the same venue used by the APC. 

The Ebonyi state governor said, upon conclusion of the accreditation process at the three centres, all the delegates would be assembled from the three centres to the stadium through an arrangement by the committee. Governor Umahi gave words of assurance to the aspirants, delegates as well as other members of the PDP that the whole process would be credible, free and fair. Ize-Iyamu, who is one of the contestants, was the secretary to the state government under the administration of one time governor, Chief Lucky Igbinedion. 

While Uduoeyekemwen was the majority leader in the House of Assembly at that same time. The publicity secretary of the PDP in Edo state, Mr Chris Enehikhare, said the primary election was being conducted on the directive of the National Caretaker Committee (NCC) of the party. On Sunday, June 19, Godwin Obaseki, who serves in the government of Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, won the APC primary election of Saturday, June 18, to become the party’s flagbearer at the forthcoming governorship election proper.