A previous National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, on Thursday, urged the party to give Governor Godwin Obaseki (Edo) and Governor Rotimi Akeredolu (Ondo) second term tickets in line with a recent peace deal.
In the alternative, the previous governor of Edo State said, free and fair primaries should be held.
“I welcome most warmly the news that Mr President has firmly endorsed the agreement reached to settle the disruptive leadership crisis at the national level that was threatening the very existence of the All Progressives Congress.
“The immediate relevant part of that agreement was that both the governors; Mr Godwin Nogheghase Obaseki of Edo State and Mr Oluwarotimi Odunayo Akeredolu(SAN), of Ondo State having performed creditably and should be returned unless they do not so wish.
“This implies that the party, in unity, should organise to support the return of both governors,” Vanguard quoted Odigie-Oyegun to have said.
Odigie-Oyegun hoped and prayed that a consensus could be built behind Governor Obaseki because “he has not offended any aspect of the APC’s constitution nor has he in any way brought the party to disrepute.”
However, Edo State APC Vice Chairman(South) Benson Edosomwan, accused Oyegun of twisting facts, saying President Buhari never endorsed an agreement for Obaseki and his Ondo State counterpart, Rotimi Akeredolu, to be returned as the party’s candidates in the forthcoming governorship elections.
His words: “President Buhari subjected himself to party primaries in the build-up to the 2019 general elections. “He allowed other aspirants to contest with him, knowing that no portion of the APC constitution states that a President, governor that has performed should be given right of first refusal.”