Edo APC Primary: Sheathe Your Swords, Let’s Work With Idahosa – Osifo Urges Colleagues
By Simeon OSAJIE
One of the gubernatorial aspirants in the just concluded All Progressives Congress (APC) primary and former Commissioner of Education under the regime of Senator Adams Oshiomhole, Dr. Washington Osifo has appealed to all the aspirants that took part in the primary election to sheathe their swords and work with the candidate that the APC National Working Committee announced as the candidate.
The9jaTREND reports that Osifo at a press conference at NUJ Secretariat in Benin City, said the argument about who has the responsibility to announce the result is clearly myopic and casuistic.
Osifo also urged the APC aspirants to work for the party interest in order for the party to win the 2024 elections in Edo state.
According to him, the party conducted a largely peaceful primary election on Saturday 17th February, 2024 through the direct mode which enabled all card carrying members of the party to vote across the 192 wards of the State.
At the end of the election, the committee charged with the responsibility of organizing the election, led by the Chairman, HE, Hope Uzodinma, Governor of Imo State announced Hon. Dennis Idahosa as the winner and flag bearer of the party in the forthcoming election.
“The argument about who has the responsibility to announce result is clearly myopic and casuistic. Only four years ago, the same Governor Hope Uzodinma played exactly the same role in 2019, and no one raised any question.
“Similar committees have been constituted to conduct primaries across the country where the Chairmen announced results.
“The National Headquarters of the party will not accept any result announced by anyone not designated to do so.
“Edo State APC Governorship primary election result has been received and accepted by the National Headquarters. It is a settled matter!
“I am in a position to relate and understand the pains of losing primary election after throwing everything possible into clinching the diadem.
“Yet, the reality had constantly stared everyone in the face that only one of the aspirants would become the flag bearer from the lot at the end of the day.
“I believe it was possible to have maintained a confident and optimistic posture that was interspersed with moderating consciousness that it could also go the other way. Call it the antidote for extreme desperation that could trigger destructive action”, he said.
