Aspirants who contested the primary elections on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and were perceived to be loyal to Governor Godwin Obaseki have failed to meet the official list of candidates pasted by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The Edo State chapter of the party has been embroiled in internal squabbles. A situation subsequently led to parallel primary elections conducted by those loyal to Governor Godwin Obaseki group and that of Dan Orbih faction, the national South-South Vice-Chairman of the party.
Following the primaries and the ensuing emergence of various candidates, aggrieved members approached the different stages of the court to seek redress.
Our correspondent who visited the INEC’s office in Benin City on Tuesday observed that the electoral body, on its lists of various candidates vying for the different positions at the federal and state legislative houses for the 2023 general election, published names of those in Orbih’s faction as authentic candidates.
INEC, on the list published on their notice board signed by Rose Oriaran-Anthony, secretary to the commission, and dated Monday, September 19, 2022, made some remarks thus “Court Order”.
Responding to the recent development by INEC, Tony Aziegbemi, the state chairman of the party, said there was no issue about the list because there are pending issues in court awaiting judgment.
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“They are still in court up to the Supreme Court. So, INEC is obeying the first Court Order that they (Orbih’s faction) got which is fine. So, we are awaiting the case to progress to logical conclusion before we know exactly where we stand.
“But as we speak, we are one PDP, we are good and there is nothing to be agitated about. The electoral process allowed for litigations and until the conclusion of that option that is available to everybody, there is nothing to be agitated about.
“We should not forget we are one PDP and one big family; so, we should all wait until the highest court in the land give the final verdict,” Aziegbemi said.
Hillary Otsu, the state party’s secretary, on his part told our correspondent that the list released by INEC was the state’s authentic list.
“Yes, that is the authentic list, and that is the candidates of the party’s primaries monitored by INEC. We don’t have any objection to it,” Otsu said.
Among some of the candidates that scaled through are Ogbeide-Ihama Omoregie, Edo South senatorial district candidate, Ugbome Pascal, Edo North senatorial district candidate.
