Edo: APC governorship aspirants back Obaseki

The aggrieved Edo State governorship aspirants on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) have all thrown their weight behind the successful candidate at the primary election, Godwin Obaseki.

This was disclosed by some of the aspirants at the end of a meeting with the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Babachir David Lawal and other APC leaders on Thursday night.

The aspirants said they decided to close ranks and support Obaseki in order not to lose the only South South state controlled by the APC to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the September governorship election.

Speaking with journalists at the end of the meeting, one of the candidates, Blessing Agbomhere, said: “I was very critical of the process before the elections and anybody will attest to the fact that I was a very vibrant aspirant during the contest. But you see, I am a man who is loyal to the party and this administration run by the APC.

“I agree that Obaseki has won and as a member of the party, I will do everything possible to support him to ensure APC wins Edo State and why I must make that sacrifice is the peculiar nature of Edo State.

“It is the only APC state in the Niger Delta and I believe we cannot afford to let PDP take over Edo State looking at the threat this administration is getting from the Niger Delta. Thus as one of the supporters of President Buhari, I don’t have any option but to work with my party and Obaseki to emerge as governor of Edo come September 10.

“I am fully in support of him, I will work for him and promote him. He is our candidate and I don’t want to talk about the past. I am a man of few words and I want to talk about the reality, the reality is that Obaseki is our candidate.”

Another aspirant, Peter Esele, a former President of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), said, “It’s a family meeting, the process is ongoing.

APC Deputy National Chairman (South), Segun Oni, said: “It’s a family meeting, you can see the smile on everybody’s face. Don’t call anybody aggrieved. We can have disagreement as members of the same family and we will resolve our disagreement and work together.”

He said they were still in the process of resolving all disagreement arising from the primary election.