Politics

Edo Poll: Group Wants Osunbor As APC Consensus Candidate, Says He’s Most Qualified, Experience

Published

2 years ago

December 13, 2023

…warns any candidate aside Osunbor may jeopardise Esan agenda

Group under the aegis of African Green Peace Initiative has called on leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) particularly in Edo Central Senatorial District to pick Prof. Oserheimen Osunbor, as candidate of the party in the 2024 Edo State governorship election.

The group argued that among the lineup of aspirants vying for the number one seat of the state, Osunbor remains the most qualified going by his antecedent, hence he should be made the consensus candidate of the party.

Briefing newsmen in Benin on Wednesday, Coordinator of the group, Dr Uzoya Okuogbosun, said “It is going to take a human and visionary personality like His Excellency Professor Oserheimen Osunbor to redeem Edo state from the current decay, hopelessness and deadly existence”.

He argued that any attempt to deny the Prof. of Law the ticket may jeopardise the most agitated Esan agenda as, according to him, the electorate in Edo State may cast their votes in vendetta against any candidate aside Osunbor.

He said: “We are making a passionate appeal to the leadership of the APC in Esan land, that is, Edo Central Senatorial District, and other parts of Edo to cooperate and collaborate towards the emergency of the most qualified, most experience, most seasoned and most popular aspirant of the Esan ethnic extraction, that is, His Excellency, Prof. Osunbor.

“If due to some immaterial challant consideration you make the mistake of excluding your best and went ahead to activate the process that eventually led to the emergency of an unpopular candidate, it will lead to ɗisarticulation of the Esan agenda, because the electorate in Edo State who cannot be taken for granted may go out and cast their votes of vendetta against such candidate. (Sic)

“Any purported screening exercise ostensibly orchestrated to exclude the Esan ethnic group and particularly Osunbor, is a product of youthful confusion, because the Esan ethnic group, that is, Edo Central Senatorial District is not the only group to decide who becomes their governor.”

According to Okuogbosun, all other senatorial districts of the state have benefited from power sharing since 1999 apart from the Esan extraction who produced the governor in 2007 but was annulled by a court judgement.

He said for this reason, it will be fair to allow the central to produce the next govetnor, insisting that Osunbor remains the best candidate for the job.

While appealing to Esan leaders in the APC to cooperate to put their house in order, he said: “Since the inception of the fourth republic, every district in Edo State has rotated power between themselves, to the exclusion of the Esan ethnic group. The only time the Esan group was able to produce the governor was when Osunbor emerged as governor in year 2007. This success was eventually annulled by a court ruling.”

Politics

2027: Daniel-Abiodun Feud Deepens Over Senatorial Ticket For Ogun East

Published

19 hours ago

May 13, 2026

Editor

… as Govt accuses Daniel of demonising consensus arrangement that made him Senator

…I will defeat Abiodun in free, fair primary – Daniel boasted

The rift between Governor Dapo Abiodun and the Senator representing Ogun East Senatorial District, Otunba Gbenga Daniel, deepened yesterday as the state government accused the senator of opposing the same consensus arrangement that paved the way for his emergence as the district’s senatorial candidate in 2023.

Daniel, despite the unanimous endorsement of Abiodun by some leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the zone as the party’s consensus candidate for the senatorial seat, still went ahead to obtain the party’s nomination and expression of interest forms to contest for a return to the Senate in the 2027 elections.

As at Tuesday, the party leaders also formerly formally presented and endorsed the governor as the consensus candidate of the zone for the 2027 senatorial election, describing the endorsement as a collective decision aimed at ensuring quality representation and sustaining party unity in the district.

However, Daniel argued that only a transparent and credible primary could settle the tussle between him and Abiodun to clinch the senatorial ticket of the party, expressing confidence that he would beat the governor in a free and fair primary election.

“Without any doubt, in a free and fair primary, I will not just win, I will win overwhelmingly” he said.

But, speaking on the development, yesterday, the Special Adviser on Media and Strategy to the Governor, Kayode Akinmade, accused the former governor and of demonising the same process of consensus arrangement that made him Senator simply because it no longer aligns with his personal ambition.

Akinmade expressed shocked that Daniel could resort to what he described as ” cheap propaganda and outright falsehood” move against the decision of the party because of his personal ambition after immensely benefited from the consensus arrangement that made him Senator in 2023.

“Daniel is simply fighting the same consensus arrangement and party structure that produced him as senator in 2023. It is shocking that someone who benefited immensely from the collective decision of the party is now demonising the same process simply because it no longer aligns with his personal ambition.

“The governor ensured a peaceful consensus arrangement that paved the way for Daniel’s emergence as the APC senatorial candidate. It is therefore ironic that the same individual now seeks to discredit the party and its leadership merely because he could not have his way politically,” he added.

Akinmade urged the people of the state particularly in Ijebuland from Ogun East Senatorial District to remain appreciative of the developmental strides of the Abiodun administration, especially in infrastructure renewal and road rehabilitation.

“Everybody in the state, especially in Ijebuland, appreciates the modest achievements of Governor Dapo Abiodun. Most of the deplorable roads abandoned by previous administrations have now been fixed, while about 29 major road projects have been completed in Ijebu Ode alone,” he said.

The SA also faulted the former governor’s comparison of federal allocations received during his tenure as governor with those accruing to the current administration, accusing him of deliberately ignoring prevailing economic realities and the sharp depreciation of the naira.
(GUARDIAN)

Politics

2027: APC Clears Delta Speaker, Disqualifies 36 Aspirants

Published

19 hours ago

May 13, 2026

Editor

The All Progressives Congress, APC, in Delta State has cleared the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Dennis Guwor and 45 others for the Assembly election primaries.

The party announced this after a two-day screening of aspirants at the APC Secretariat in Asaba.

The screening committee released the result in a statement signed by its Chairman, Dr Uche Uzochukwu, and Secretary, Dr Chiedozie Nwafor, and made available to the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, in Asaba, on Wednesday.

According to the committee, 82 aspirants appeared before the panel ahead of the party’s primary election.

It disclosed that 46 aspirants sailed through after detailed verification of the credentials and eligibility requirements.

The committee, however, disqualified 36 aspirants over alleged irregularities and violations of party guidelines.

It explained that Guwor emerged as the only aspirant cleared for Warri South-West.

Of the number, 17 serving lawmakers of the eighth Assembly seeking to renew their mandate were also cleared for the APC primaries, three former commissioners also secured clearance to continue in the race.

They include Funyei Manager (Bomadi), Harry Trakirlowei (Patani), and Orode Uduaghan (Warri North).

The committee listed attempt to induce and bribe panel members among reasons for the disqualifications, while others were accused of submitting unsworn affidavits and failing to present their Permanent Voter Cards.

Some aspirants were also disqualified for failing to provide valid APC membership slips as well as inconsistencies in dates of birth and differences in names on official documents.

The committee also accused some aspirants of failing to confirm payment of party dues.

According to the committee, some nomination forms contained irregular membership numbers and insufficient ward nominators.

The committee also raised concerns over alleged violations of zoning arrangements in some constituencies.

It warned that ignoring zoning agreements could affect the party’s chances during the 2027 General Elections.

The committee said that some aspirants failed to resign from political appointments as required under the Electoral Act.

Others allegedly submitted multiple or invalid affidavits that did not properly disclose facts about their records and certificates.

The committee maintained that the exercise was transparent and strictly guided by APC rules and the Electoral Act.

“The committee carried out its responsibilities with fairness, diligence, and utmost commitment to the integrity of the party.

“We ensured that only aspirants, who met the constitutional and procedural requirements of the APC, were cleared to proceed,” the statement said.

The statement further explained that the screening aimed to strengthen internal democracy within the party, ahead of the 2027 elections.

It congratulated successful aspirants and urged disqualified contestants not to see the decision as final.

According to the statement, dissatisfied aspirants could approach the party’s Screening Appeal Committee for redress.

NAN

Politics

2027: PDP Amends Timetable Ahead Of Primary Election

Published

20 hours ago

May 13, 2026

Editor

The Taminu Turaki-led faction of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has amended the timetable ahead of the party primary election.

This contained in a statement jointly signed by the fractional National Publicity Secretary, ini Ememobong, and National Organising Secretary, Theophilus Dakas Shan, on Wednesday.

The statement said the amendment became necessary due to appeals from stakeholders and aspirants across the country.

“In response to the appeals from stakeholders and aspirants across the country, the Interim National Working Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party has amended the earlier published timetable for activities culminating in the nomination of candidates activities as follows:

“End of Purchase of forms – 15th May, 2026

“Last date for the submission of completed forms – 18th May, 2026

“Screening of Aspirants – 19th May, 2026.

“Aspirants for National and State Assemblies will be screened at their respective states, while Gubernatorial and Presidential Aspirants will be screened in Abuja.

“Other activities will remain as previously announced,” the statement read.