Tony Aziegbemi, Chairman of the Edo State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) urged the nine governorship aspirants who boycotted Sunday’s delegates election to approach the Party’s appeal panel to air their grievances.
The PDP had conducted a congress to select delegates that would participate in the party’s February 22 governorship primary.
However, before the Congress, Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State who was appointed as the Chairman of the Edo Ad Hoc Ward Congresses Electoral Committee, rejected the appointment.
Makinde said the list of electoral officers for the election contained people from Delta State and officials of the Edo state government.
Nine out of the 11 PDP governorship aspirants, including Philip Shaibu, Edo’s Deputy Governor, boycotted the exercise.
The nine aspirants, who faulted the Sunday delegates election, include Shaibu, Omoregie Ogbeide-Ihama, Anselm Ojezua, Felix Akhabue, Amb. Martin Uhomoibhi and Hafia Umoru.
The others are Omosede Igbinedion, Dr Earl Onaiwu and Arthur Esene.
Having boycotted the event, they wrote a protest letter to the acting National Chairman of the PDP, Umar Damagum, and the National Vice Chairman South-South of the Party, Dan Orbih.
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But the Enugu State Governor, Peter Mbah, who was the Deputy Chairman of the Committee, okayed the exercise, noting that it witnessed a large turnout of participants.
Edo Governor, Godwin Obaseki, described Makinde’s withdrawal from the exercise as unfortunate but said it did not undermine the credibility of the exercise, given the large turnout of participants.
Aziegbemi, speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Monday, urged them to watch their utterances in order not to jeopardise the PDP’s chances of winning the State’s September 21 governorship election.
According to him, the appeal panel will sit on February 7 in Abuja.
His words: “We went out of our way to make sure that we did the right thing, according to the guidelines of the party.
“This congress that was held yesterday (Sunday) in Edo is adjudged to have been the most credible and transparent congress in the annals of the PDP in this country.
“I imagine that after every election, people are not happy with the result. I get that. That is why we have an appeal panel.
“My idea is that they should go to the appeal panel on February 7 and bring out all their grievances instead of coming out to the media after an exercise, which is the best organised in the history of this party They should conserve their energy and get to the appeal panel.
“I challenge any aspirant to come up with concrete evidence to say the party here in Edo state, did something specific to favour any aspirant.”
