Edo 2020: No Direct Primary Would Be Held - Obaseki

The Governor of Edo State, Godwin Obaseki, has said that in view of the upcoming governorship primary elections of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state to be held on June 22, the party would go for the indirect primary option citing coronavirus pandemic. 

The rule as stated by the governor reads in part, “That in respect of political gatherings for the purpose of conducting primaries for any of the parties desiring to field candidates in the forthcoming gubernatorial election, gatherings of more than 20 persons may be allowed, subject to the written approval of the Governor if such gatherings do not exceed 5,000 persons; hold in Benin City and in a single facility with a large seating capacity of not less than 10,000 persons; are provided with adequate health, safety and sanitary facilities and are COVID-19 response compliant with social distancing policy, hand-washing and proper use of face masks fully observed.”

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Speaking with The PUNCH, Obaseki's Special Adviser on Media and Communication Strategy, Mr Crusoe Osagie, said “The Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 has said in its briefings that states should manage the pandemic through measures unique to their states.

“On the basis of that, we have deployed this measure in Edo State, the rule has been gazetted and so direct primaries cannot hold here as far as that regulation is concerned. So, it has to be indirect, in order to be working in line with the extant rule in the state.

“The only mode of primary that is permissible according to that law is indirect primaries, and we believe it is correct to do so because for that option, it is just one location and you can deploy all agencies of government responsible for ensuring compliance with the protocols.”

Speaking on the news that the National Chairman of the APC issued a letter to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), that the party would employ direct primary in the state, Crusoe said, “He can write, and the fact that he wrote doesn’t mean that is what is going to happen. The rules have to be followed. Don’t forget that the first responsibility of the governor is to protect the lives and property of the people.”