National Working Com­mittee Can’t Dictate To Edo APC On Mode Of Primary – Idah

Chief Osaro Idah, Special Adviser on Political Matters to Governor Godwin Obaseki in this interview with select journalists speaks on latest developments in the Edo state chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) ahead of the June 22 primary. He also spoke on the rift between his principal and his predecessor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole. TEMIDAYO AKINSUYI brings the excerpts:

What is your take on the decision of National Working Committee (NWC) of APC to adopt direct mode of governorship primary election in Edo State on June 22, 2020?

It is not possible for the mem­bers of National Working Com­mittee (NWC) of APC to make such declaration, because it is not within their rights. The Con­stitution of APC is very clear on who has the right to do so. The party at the state level has the right to determine the mode of governorship primary election it prefers, which is subject to the last meeting (in 2018) of the National Executive Committee (NEC) of APC in Abuja, where the instruction was approved. Since then, nothing has been said by NEC of the party. So, nothing has changed.


The NWC of APC met and rec­ommended to NEC for approv­al in 2018. Since then, NEC has not met to change the decision. Members of NWC cannot on their own make an order that is compelling. To take such a cru­cial decision, members of NEC must meet. To change the party’s national chairman and other vi­tal decisions, there must be a convention, which is the highest authority.

Last year, when the governorship election in Kogi State took place, it was Kogi APC that took the decision on indirect primary. So, what has changed?

Edo State Executive Commit­tee (SEC) of APC has done the right thing, by opting for indirect governorship primary election. Governor Obaseki is not scared of direct primary election, be­cause he will win fair and square, but we want the right process to be followed and the right thing to be done. We do not want to ex­pand anybody’s ego. We want the extant law to be obeyed.

We have social media gover­norship aspirants in Edo state, who are making noise to enter­tain their friends. Our concern is that the rule must be followed. NWC of APC cannot dictate to Edo APC on the mode of gover­norship primary election to use.

In this period of COVID-19, how will you put thousands of people in a place for direct gov­ernorship primary election? It is supposed to be a friendly ex­ercise.

Are you in support of direct, indirect or consensus mode of picking the governorship candidate of APC in Edo State?
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Constitution of APC supports direct and indirect modes for pri­mary election. We are saying in Edo state APC, because we have the right to choose as a party and in view of the coronavirus pandemic in Nigeria, we want indirect governorship primary election on June 22, 2020.

How will you react to the allegations by pro-Comrade Adams Oshiom­hole’s Edo State APC, in a letter signed by the Secretary, Lawrence Okah, and addressed to INEC that Governor Obaseki is planning to manipulate and inflate the COVID-19 positive figures, in order to impose total lockdown in Edo State during the governorship primary for being afraid of the direct primary election?

The allegations were levelled out of ignorance, lack of deep thought and carelessness in playing politics. The state does not announce COVID-19 cases. It is purely the business of the Ni­geria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) and the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19. The implication of the allegations is that the integrity of NCDC and PTF is being questioned.

Okah and his co-travellers ought to be invited by the Depart­ment of State Services (DSS) and other security agencies to prove the weighty allegations, because no sane person or government will play politics to that level.

NCDC and PTF on COVID-19 should also deeply probe the allegations and if found to be true, all the people found culpa­ble should appear in court. In the state, only the governor and the deputy governor have immunity against prosecution while in of­fice. If the allegations are found to be untrue, Okah and his allies should be prosecuted, in order to stop their dangerous politics and falsehood.

It is not everything that you play politics with, because it af­fects the lives of many people. If the allegations go out of Nigeria, it imputes on the integrity of Ni­geria, which will indicate that we are playing pranks with the dead­ly coronavirus pandemic and that we are not serious people.

You earlier stated that Edo State APC would decide on the mode of gov­ernorship primary. Which of the two factions would take the decision, with Col. David Imuse (rtd.) and Anselm Ojezua as Chairmen of the party?

I am not aware of two factions in Edo state APC. The state secre­tariat of the party is on Airport Road in Benin City, with Barr. An­selm Ojezua as the authentic and duly-elected Chairman. When you say a party, you should be re­ferring to the chairman and oth­er members of the executive that were elected at the state congress of APC, not any other group. I know of a cultural group, called Edo People’s Movement (EPM).

Are you not aware that the Edo State APC faction that you called a cultural group/EPM is the one being rec­ognised by the national leadership of your party?

I am not aware of the recog­nition of EPM’s cultural group by leaders of APC at the national level. The EPM members are po­litical pretenders. Are the EPM members registered as APC?

During a recent visit of APC leaders nationwide to President Muhammadu Buhari at the State House in Abuja, led by Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, Col. David Imuse (rtd.) was with the team and he was recognised as Edo State Chairman of APC. Are you also not aware?

Maybe the National Chair­man of APC, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, went on a private visit to President Muhammadu Buhari. Can’t he visit the Presi­dent privately? Maybe when the excited Comrade Oshiomhole was going to visit President Bu­hari in Abuja, he decided to go with some of his friends, not the duly-elected chairman of APC in Edo state, just for Nigerians and other people worldwide to know that he is very close to the Pres­ident.

Is a truce still possible between the two APC rival camps in Edo before the primary?

The last time I spoke with both of them was during last year’s Sallah, when we went to Comrade Oshiomhole’s Iyamho hometown in Etsako West LGA of Edo state to pay him Sallah homage. Since then, I have not spoken with the national chairman of APC, while Governor Obaseki has not told me the reason for their differenc­es. So, I cannot infer.

Well-meaning Nigerians are speaking with them (Oshiom­hole and Obaseki) and I pray that both of them will find a common ground very soon. Whether some people like it or not, Comrade Os­hiomhole remains our father. We will be so glad to have a happy home, once again. So that we can still flow as father and children.

My former boss, His Excel­lency Lucky Igbinedion, who ap­pointed me when he was Edo gov­ernor, as the General Manager of Bendel Brewery Limited, Benin City, gave me a piece of advice a long time ago. When I had a brou­haha with a certain leader of the party, and I was fighting the man with all my might. Me, a small man, fighting a giant. Even my uncle, who was a leader in PDP, we had our differences.

One day, Igbinedion called me and he advised me that in life, never fight to the finish, but to always leave a window for rec­onciliation. I took the advice to heart and it is one of the princi­ples that influence my thoughts in life. Chief Lucky Igbinedion’s wise counsel has greatly helped me. In spite of the face-off be­tween Comrade Oshiomhole and Governor Obaseki, I still see a window of reconciliation.

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