No automatic ticket for Obaseki in PDP – Wike

Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State has said that he will not guarantee automatic ticket for the governor of Edo State, Godwin Obaseki, in his planned defection to Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Wike who spoke at a media parley at the Government House, Port Harcourt, said he would be happy to receive Obaseki in PDP. […]

Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State has said that he will not guarantee automatic ticket for the governor of Edo State, Godwin Obaseki, in his planned defection to Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Wike who spoke at a media parley at the Government House, Port Harcourt, said he would be happy to receive Obaseki in PDP.

Wike, however, said he would not guarantee automatic ticket for him ‘because Edo people would decide.’

He said, “Edo PDP has a role to play. There is nothing like endorsement. But I must tell you that I am not happy the way he was disqualified by the APC; because it will affect his integrity .”

Wike berated the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF), saying it had become a toothless bulldog because it had lost focus in its role of defending the rule of law in the country.

He said the forum used to be non-partisan and a powerful voice on national issues, and noted that since the APC took over the leadership of the body in 2015, governors had turned to beggars.

He further said, “During one of the rerun elections in this state, my security aides were withdrawn, thus exposing me to danger. The forum did not say anything because the chairman was a member of APC.

“I told them then that what they were doing was wrong. Now they have become a Beggars Forum even when there are constitutional infractions.

“You can see that APC governors say; that they are progressive. You can see how progressive they are when they keep quiet when a fellow sitting governor is disqualified from contesting election.

“Adams Oshiomhole campaigned for Gov. Obaseki four years ago. The same man has turned around to say that Obaseki has a defective certificate.

“Has Oshiomhole apologised to Nigerians that he supported someone with a defective certificate?”

APC govs fail to rescue Edo gov

Meanwhile, a last-minute meeting convened to discuss the moves to rescue Obaseki has failed  as the National Working Committee (NWC) of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) yesterday said that it would go ahead with June 22, 2020 governorship primary election.

The APC National Chairman, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, fielded questions from State House reporters yesterday after a meeting with the Chief of Staff (CoS) to the President, Prof. Ibrahim Gambari.

The meeting was attended by the Chairman of the Progressive Governors’ Forum (PGF) and Governor of Kebbi State, Atiku Bagudu, as well as four members of the APC NWC.

Bagudu, who represented the APC governors at the meeting, did not wait while Oshiomhole was speaking with journalists after the meeting.

The meeting, it was believed, discussed the fallout of the disqualification of Obaseki from participating in the state governorship primary election.

Oshiomhole, who said the APC had followed all necessary guidelines and standard practice required ahead of the primary, expressed optimism that the process would be “free, fair, and transparent” and produce a candidate that would unify the party.

Asked whether the APC was ready for Obaseki’s exit, Oshiomhole said: “I don’t know about exit.”

On the gazette signed by Obaseki, banning political gatherings that could make direct primary possible, he said,” we will find a way round it. He is our governor. We are law abiding. But if PDP can conduct activities across 192 wards with the same law, I don’t think our governor will discriminate against his own party.”