By Ayo Kehinde
Embattled Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo state emerged from the screening of his party, the All Progressives Congress on Wednesday night with a verdict that he may not get justice because he thinks his nemesis, party Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole, is “the judge and jury in the the matter.”
The governor who had earlier arrived the party’s national secretariat in Abuja at 1 pm for the screening but had to leave to attend the Governor’s Forum and returned at 8 pm after four others had taken their turn, told journalists at 10pm after undergoing the screening that six petitions were tendered against him.
But what unnerved him the most was the question on why he issued a gazette that will prevent the party from performing direct elections in Edo. “Did I not see it as an anti-party activity?”
Explaining further, he said; “The last time I came here, I asked that Oshiomhole 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.
“Like I said, as a party man I have engine 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 were asked was why did I issue a gazette that will prevent the party from performing direct 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, we may be missing the point”.
The five aspirants who were screened were former Deputy Governor, Dr Pius Odubu, former Minister of State, Works, Engr. Chris Ogiemwonyi, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, Hon. Osaro Obazee and Mathew Iduoriyekemwem former House of Assembly members. Like Obaseki, he also had a petition written against him, though only one.
Chairman of the Committee, Prof. Jonathan Ayuba who had addressed journalists before the closed-door screening exercise said that the duty of the committee was to verify the documents submitted by the aspirants and nothing more.
“Ours is to do our assignment, ours is not to pass judgement because we are not a court of law, Ours is to make recommendations. And I urge you to wait for the official release of such recommendations by the party.
“We are going to interact with all those that indicated interests and if there is any issue, we will raise it with them. There is a difference between a judicial commission because we cannot make a pronouncement because we are not a court of law. The document before us is the same document we are going to present to all those that have purchased the forms. So our interaction is based on that.”
The report of the committee is expected to be submitted to the National Working Committee NWC of the party on completion of its assignment.
The party has planned it’s governorship primary for June 22.
