Adams Oshiomhole, representing Edo North as a senator, has stated that President Bola Tinubu does not endorse the zoning of the All Progressive Congress (APC) governorship ticket within the state.
After some candidates were proclaimed winners, the APC’s leadership deemed the Edo governorship primary election inconclusive.
A new primary has been scheduled for Thursday in the state.
Dennis Idahosa, a House of Representatives member, was initially announced as the victor of Saturday’s primary by Hope Uzodinma, the Imo Governor and panel chairman.
Contrastingly, Ojo Babatunde, the returning officers’ spokesperson, reported that Sunday Dekeri, another House of Representatives member from Etsako federal constituency, garnered 25,384 votes, surpassing Idahosa.
Oshiomhole, after discussing with Tinubu in Abuja on Wednesday, shared with State House journalists that his visit aimed to clarify rumors about the primary.
The ex-Edo governor relayed that the president is dedicated to conducting an impartial primary.
He quoted the president saying he lacks voting rights in Edo state but emphasizes the importance of Edo’s APC members engaging in an unbiased primary.
Oshiomhole conveyed that, according to the president, the notion of zoning, especially just before the primary, contradicts the principle of fairness and inclusivity in the electoral process.
He criticized the inconsistency of applying zoning to Edo state while neglecting it in the case of Kogi and Benue’s governorship nominations.
Oshiomhole questioned the rationale behind different treatment for Edo state compared to Kogi, where leadership has alternated within a single senatorial zone, and Benue, where governors have consistently emerged from the Tiv community since 1999.
He challenged the authority of any individual to predetermine the origin of Edo APC’s candidate.
Oshiomhole argued against the imposition of candidates and the concept of rotational democracy, advocating for a democratic process where the majority’s choice prevails without bias.
He insisted that true fairness reflects the electorate’s will, criticizing the practice of allocating turns, which he believes undermines genuine fairness.