Edo elders laud move as APC replaces Uzodimma with Otu as governorship primary chair

The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has removed Imo State governor, Hope Uzodimma as chairman of the Elections Committee after the controversy that trailed Saturday’s governorship primary in Edo State. His Cross River State counterpart, Bassey Otu, was named as his successor.

This was disclosed in a statement issued on Wednesday by the APC National Organising Secretary, Sulaiman Argungu, saying the Cross River governor has now been saddled with the responsibility of conducting the re-run poll slated for Thursday, February 22.
Other members of the Primary Election Committee include former Osun State deputy governor, Mrs Titilayo Laoye-Tomori; APC’s flagbearer in the Plateau State 2023 governorship election, Nentanwe Goshwe; Umar Musa; Lawan Garba and Rabiu Suleiman who will serve as the Secretary.
The change was made a few hours after four leading aspirants called for Uzodimma’s replacement. Aspirants like Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, Chief Lucky Imasuen, Senator Monday Okpebholo and General Charles Airhiavbere (retd.) said they no longer trust his ability to conduct a free and fair election following the controversy that trailed Saturday’s poll.

Meanwhile, President Bola Tinubu and the leadership of the APC have been commended for appointing Otu as chairman of the APC Primary Election for Edo. In a statement signed by Matthew Omoregie and Stephen Aigbe, Chairman and Secretary General respectively, the Edo APC Elders Stakeholders Forum decried last weekend’s primaries, which was supervised by the Uzodinma, but flawed in many ways.
While commending the swift intervention of the leadership of the party and the rescheduling of the primaries, the elders advised the new chairman of the primary election, Governor Otu to remain steadfast to the tenets of true democracy so that his name will remain on the fair side of history.
The group also called on Tinubu to recall in in 2016, “during a similar primary when the people were denied the opportunity to choose their candidate. The process was hijacked and a candidate was imposed on the party by the erstwhile Governor Adams Oshiomhole.”

“After winning the election, the imposed candidate (now Governor Godwin Obaseki) took party members through hell from 2016 and decamped to PDP in 2020.”
While pledging their support for President Tinubu and his administration, the elders urged the party leadership and the NWC “to ensure that democracy wins in Edo state as the party picks its governorship candidate for the September 2024 governorship election.”
The group however assured the party of victory in the September governorship election only if a candidate was not imposed on the party, saying that “party members across the state have developed strong feelings against anti-democratic practices” because of their bitter experience of the past.