Says he won’t appeal
The Screening Committee of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has disqualified Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, from contesting in the party’s governorship primary election scheduled for June 22, 2020.
The committee chairman, Prof. Jonathan Ayuba, made the disclosure in a press conference on Friday afternoon.
He said the governor did not present his Higher School Leaving Certificate.
Ayuba noted that the committee could not ascertain the authenticity of his National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) certificate.
Ayuba said the committee recommended that he is not eligible to contest in the election.
Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki
Also, Engr. Chris Ogiemwonyi, was not cleared to contest over discrepancy in the names on his credentials.
Dr. Pius Odubu and Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu were cleared to contest.
Earlier on Wednesday, Obaseki expressed fears that he might not get justice from the screening committee as the APC National Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole, “an interested party in Edo”, was involved in the process.
The former allies have been in a running battle for several months.
Meanwhile, the governor has said he would not appeal the verdict because the party has allowed one man in person of Oshiomhole to determine every course of action in the party.
The statement reads:
“We have watched the mockery of democratic process, which Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, is administering and superintending over in our great party, the All Progressives Congress (APC). It has been an unfortunate, disheartening and dreadful spectacle.
We had initially asserted that going by the open display and enthronement of illegality by one man in the party that comprises several organs and eminent personalities, there is no way that Governor Godwin Obaseki would get a fair assessment in the run-up to the nomination of candidates to fly the flag of the party in the forthcoming Edo gubernatorial election.
It is unfortunate that this open show of shame, illegality and travesty of justice is the brand of democracy, which Comrade Oshiomhole has reduced the APC into. The situation is quite saddening because this is a party supposedly reputed for change, equity and social justice.
We have therefore decided that it would be effort in futility to appeal whatever the unjust outcome of the evaluation and screening process of the APC will be, especially when Comrade Oshiomhole has declared that he is the Supreme Court and ultimate determiner of the fate and future of our great party.
We wish Oshiomhole luck in his maladministration of the party and trust that the Almighty will help our country to find the path to true liberty, freedom and justice.
We call on all party members and the teeming supporters of Governor Obaseki to remain calm and await further directives.