Obaseki floors Oshiomhole, gets Court order against direct primary

The Governor of Edo state, Godwin Obaseki, on Monday got a Federal High Court ruling stopping the planned All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship primary earlier scheduled for June 11 in the state.

It would be recalled that the APC’s NWC led by Adams Oshiomhole, had approved direct primary to choose the party’s candidate in the forthcoming gubernatorial election in the state.

But the governor, on the other hand, suspecting a plot to deny him a second term in office, kicked against direct primary, insisting on indirect primary, citing the coronavirus pandemic as a reason why direct primary would not be appropriate at the moment.

To achieve his objective, Obaseki, in a gazette signed on May 28 and published on Friday, banned political gatherings that could make direct primary possible in the state.

Similarly, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) at the weekend backed the National Working Committee of the party on the direct primary adopted by it for the Edo State governorship primary.

INEC INEC insisted that it would only honour the mode of primary submitted to it by the national chairman of the party.

However, the Federal High Court sitting in Benin City on Monday granted an order, restraining the APC and its national chairman, Adams Oshiomhole from conducting any primary election in Edo State till the determination of the suit on June 11, the restraining order would be in place.

The state governorship election is scheduled for September this year.