Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo has expressed doubt on the ability of a screening panel set up by the All Progressives Congress (APC) to do its job without prejudice.
The panel was set up by the party to screen candidates vying for APC governorship ticket in Edo.
According to the Governor, his submission was based on his observation of special interest displayed by the party’s national chairman, Adams Oshiomhole, in the process.
Obaseki expressed the fear on Wednesday night at a news conference shortly after he was screened by the seven-member screening committee headed by Prof. Jonathan Ayuba at the party’s National Secretariat in Abuja.
The governor alleged that some of the questions asked by the committee showed that Oshiomhole has not distanced himself from the process of conducting governorship primaries in the state.
“Like I said, as a party man I have gone through the screening process but I do not believe that I will get justice because Comrade Adams Oshiomhole is an interested party in the Edo process.
“One of the questions that was asked was why I issued a gazette that will prevent the party from performing direct primary elections in Edo.
“That did I not see it as an anti-party activity? I just felt that if we put politics above the lives of the people of Edo State, then we may be missing the point,” Obaseki said.
Obaseki recalled that when he came to the party’s National Secretariat to submit his nomination form, he told a news conference that Oshiomhole should distance himself from the process.
“The last time I came here, I asked that Oshiomhole should recuse himself from the process in the interest of peace and justice.
“But as a party man, I have had to go through the screening like everybody else.
“Since he is the judge and the jury in this matter, I will just wait for the outcome of the screening.
“I have given them all the information they need; the controversial certificate from the University of Ibadan has been tendered,” he said.
Recall on Wednesday, the University of Ibadan (UI) confirmed that Mr. Obaseki graduated from the institution in 1979.
The confirmation by UI, may have finally put to rest the controversy around his certificate, albeit many believe he has a hurdle to cross at the APC screening before he can challenge for the party’s governorship ticket at a primary coming up in less than two weeks.
