The All Progressives Congress on Friday announced the disqualification of Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State and two other aspirants who have been screened out from contesting the primaries of the party scheduled to take place on June 22 ahead of the governorship election in the state.
Announcing the disqualification at the party headquarters in Abuja, the chairman of the screening committee, Professor Jonathan Ayuba, said only three aspirants were qualified to contest for the primary.
According to the screening committee, Obaseki presented the Higher School Certificate which the panel said was defective as no such certificate in existence, adding that the National Youth Service Corps certificate he presented did not have his name written properly.
Based on these, the committee said the governor is not qualified to contest for the party primary scheduled for June 22.
The other two aspirants who were also disqualified are: Hon. Osari Obazee, and Engr. Chris Ogiemwonyi.
Explaining why Obaseki was disqualified, the committee chairman said; “His Excellency Godwin Obaseki nomination form contains the higher school certificate from the institute of continued education in Benin City.
Ayuba said the certificate was never submitted in the course of the screening and that Obaseki had admitted he has never collected it.
He also stated that Obaseki’s National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) certificate was awarded to Obasek Godwin while the aspirant’s name is Obaseki Godwin.
Ayuba said the reason for the use of this against the governor was that he has never made any move whatsoever to have the anomaly corrected; thus the need to question its authenticity.
Speaking after the screening committee briefing, Oshiomhole said the screening committee report is subject to the appeal committee, “and the appeal committee will give opportunity to all those who have participated” to approach if they have reasons to counter the judgement of the screening committee.
Meanwhile, the Edo State government had released a statement this morning, saying that the National Chairman of the APC Comrade Adams Oshiomhole has plans to announce Obaseki’s disqualification.
The statement from the state house, entitled “Tyrant Oshiomhole bares fangs, to announce Obaseki’s disqualification from APC primary election”, accused Oshiomhole of “extreme display of lawlessness and dictatorship”.
It said: “The extreme display of lawlessness and dictatorship by Comrade Adams Oshiomhole would reach its peak today when he would announce in a press conference the disqualification of Governor Godwin Obaseki, from contesting the primary election of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
“In record time, Oshiomhole has subverted all due process and broken all the laws in the books in his ultimate quest to crown himself as the godfather of politics in Edo State.
“Like he stated recently that he is the Supreme Court and the ultimate determiner of the fate of aspirants for governorship seat under the APC, he has executed his pre-conceived agenda of stopping Governor Obaseki from flying the flag of the party, at all cost.
“After pushing the failed narrative about Governor Obaseki’s educational qualification and meeting a brick wall with the University of Ibadan’s response, he resorted to using his characteristic brute force to disqualify the governor.”
Obaseki should not forget in a hurry how he was all out to ensure Adam Osho Bobo is removed as the APC chair. What goes round comes round. Adam is the winner in this fight of Edo politics. Today the song has change from Adam wowor to Obaseki wowor. Never push the ladder away after getting to the top.