APC Divided against Itself in Edo

The looming crisis ahead of the governorship primary of the Edo State chapter of the All Progressives Congress if not managed properly, could spell doom for the party, Adibe Emenyonu writes

In preparation for the governorship primary election of the All Progressives Congress (APC) scheduled for February 17, 2024, in Edo State, 25 out of 29 aspirants, including, Prof. Oserhiemen Osunbor, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, Gideon Ikhine, Kassim Afegbua, have been screened out, setting the stage for the eruption of internal crisis in the party.

The screening committee, which was established to streamline the crowd of aspirants, and to ensure a smooth and conflict-free primary election was led by Professor Julius Ihonvbere, member, representing Owan Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has set the off-cycle governorship election in the state for September 21, 2024 hence the need for a primary election to pick the party’s flag bearer.

Some of the party leaders believe that the emergence of 29 persons jostling for the same position is a recipe for crisis. A party with the likes of former Governor, Prof Oserhiemen Osunbor, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, Mr. Lucky Imasuen, Senator Matthew Urhoghide, Mr. Dennis Idahosa, Gideon Obhakhan, Gideo Ikhine, Mike Onolemenme, Victor Eboigbe, and David Imuse, contesting for the governorship ticket is enough to generate tension and anxiety.

Added to the list are: Prince Kassim Afegbua, Prince Clem Agba, Ernest Afolabi Umaghighe, Anamero Dekeri, the petrol merchant, Joseph Ikpea, Senator Monday Okpebholo, Mrs. Victoria Amu, Festus Ebea, Ehiozuwa Johnson Agbonayinma, Mike Oshiobogie, Thomas Okosun, Emmanuel Okoebori, Madam Maureen Okoroagbo, and Prof. Saxone Akhaine.

Therefore, to reduce the tension associated with the long list of aspirants, the party leadership decided to set up a committee with a mandate to reduce the number to a manageable size with preference for aspirants who won their unit, ward, local government and state election for the party in the 2023 general election in the state.

Early on Thursday, January 18, the Ihonvbere-led special panel pruned the number to 10 from the initial 29.

Those who made that initial list, included, Major General Charles Airhiavbere, (rtd), Pastor Osagie Ize Iyamu, Dennis Idahosa and Chief Lucky Imasuen.

Others were the immediate past Minister of State for Budget and National Planning, Prince Clem Agba, former Edo Commissioner for Information, Prince Kassim Afegbua, and Dr. Ernest Umakhile

The list also had former Edo APC Chairman, Col. David Imuse (rtd); Senator Monday Okpebholo and Festus Ebea.

However, in a bid to further reduce the number of aspirants, the party pruned them to six – two each from the three senatorial districts – as directed by the stakeholders. It dropped 23 others with a proviso that they are, however, free to purchase the governorship nomination forms if they still want to test their popularity.

In the final analysis, the Ihonvbere’s committee recommended six aspirants that will go into the primary election. The successful aspirants, according to their senatorial district and following the outcome of the stakeholders’ meeting are: Dennis Idahosa, Lucky Imasuen for Edo South; Senator Monday Okpebholo and Col. David Imuse (rtd) for Edo Central; and Prince Clem Agba and Dr. Ernest Afolabi Umaghighe for Edo North.

Those who were dropped from the initial 10, include General Airhiavber, Pastor Ize-Iyamu, Afegbua and Ebea. However, Afegbua, Mrs. Amu, and Eboigbe, who were also screened out, expressed their acceptance of the committee’s decision, emphasising their commitment to the party’s unity.

Eboigbe, from Edo Central, urged his supporters to accept the outcome of the screening committee, emphasising that the party’s decision as paramount. Amu echoed similar sentiment, emphasising her alignment with the APC’s vision and principles, stating her ambition is not greater than the party.

On his part, Afegbua, acknowledging his fate, emphasised the non-dogmatic nature of politics, stating that politics is not a do-or-die affair.

But one of the frontline aspirants, Ize-Iyamu has dismissed the Ihonvbere panel’s report, saying he remains the candidate to beat in the election. While arriving the Benin Airport obviously from the screening which took place in Abuja, he declared that the viral report of his exclusion from the race and others by the Ihonvbere-led panel was a “mere rumour”. He announced that the National Working Committee  (NWC) had given clear directives that all aspirants for the governorship race were free to purchase nomination forms. 

He said: “I want to assure you that I am in the race and by next week, by the grace of God, I will collect the form.”

He added that: “When you are contesting for an election there are bound to be intrigues and all kinds of rumours and stories. The highest organ of our party issued a statement to the publicity secretary and specifically said that all those who have aspiration to run for governorship should go and collect the forms.”

The two-time governorship candidate of the PDP and APC also declared: “Let me announce that by next week I will collect the form. I know there were rumours that some people have been excluded but by that NWC release that is not possible anymore. The only people that can exclude aspirants is the committee set up by the NWC. I want to assure you that I will contest and win the election.” 

Another issue, which is capable of causing disaffection in the Edo APC is the mode of primary election. Already, the party is said to have approved direct mode of primary election. It also went ahead to announce its timeline for the governorship election where it would begin the sales of expression of interest and nomination forms for N10 million and N40 million, respectively,  from January 10 to January 29. The party, according to the timetable displayed at the office of the National Organising Secretary,  Sulaimon Argungu, also slated the party primary for  for February 17.

Notwithstanding this information, the former National Vice Chairman, North-west of the party, Dr. Salihu Lukman, has described the decision of the NWC of the party to adopt direct primary election to produce the governorship candidate of APC in Edo State as illegal.

Lukman in a statement, maintained that the decision of the NWC was a clear usurpation of the powers of the National Executive Committee (NEC). 

“The recent decision by the APC National Working Committee (NWC) regarding the 2024 Edo election, whereby the NWC announced that the party’s candidate will emerge through direct primary may be informed by the strong desire of party leaders to manipulate the process,” he said.

The former APC National Vice Chairman maintained that the decision of the NWC to organise direct primary contradicted provisions of Article 13.4(iv) of the APC constitution, which only empowers the NWC to ‘propose electoral guidelines and regulations governing the conduct of elections to party offices at all levels, and procedure for selecting party candidates for elective offices …to the National Executive Committee.

The party chieftain also faulted the reduction of the number of aspirants, cautioning the leaders of the party in the state against heating up the polity.

According to him, “there were already media reports alleging that APC stakeholders in Edo State had decided to limit the number of aspirants for the primary. We must appeal to our leaders, including Comrade Adams Oshiomhole not to be carried away by the aura of being today’s rulers and conduct themselves in the same mode previous rulers of Nigeria conducted themselves.”

Lukman emphasised that the debate around direct or indirect primary had been a constant issue in APC since 2014, stressing that part of the experience was that aspiring politicians and godfathers continued to impose their preferences.

Besides, there are worries that the pruning exercise may rob the party of victory in the election, given the exclusion of notable names from the list. Those who spoke to THISDAY on the issue said rather than reducing the number, the party could have as well asked everyone to go to the field to test his or her popularity since there was no zoning.

They also argued that none of those penciled down to contest the primaries can win the election for the party if they eventually emerge as candidate.

“Let’s face the fact; none of the so-called qualified candidates has the capacity and reach to win election,” a chieftain of the party told THISDAY.

“Since there is no zoning,” said another party member who pleaded anonymity, “there shouldn’t have been any need to reduce the number of aspirants. The screening should have been to look at the propriety or otherwise of each of the aspirant coming forward to contest”, adding that the party leadership in the state is overreaching itself.

Another argued: “In one breath, the party is saying every member is eligible to contest and in another breath, it is complaining about the number of aspirants and making reduction.”

The days ahead will tell how the party will handle the ill-feelings among its members as it plans to dislodge the PDP in the state.