Ahead of Edo state governorship primary scheduled for February 22, 2024, nine governorship aspirants have petitioned Oyo state governor, Seyi Makinde and the party Acting National Chairman, Amb. Umar Damagum, over multiple lists of electoral officers in circulation.

The aspirants alleged that the process will not be fair to them as some observed flaws have the potential to compromise the process even before the congresses commence.

The governorship aspirants, who signed the petition are; Edo state deputy governor, Hon Philip Shaibu, Earl Osaro Onaiwu, Hon. Omosede Igbinedion, Anselm Ojezua, Amb. Martin Uhomoibhi, Barr. Arthur Esene, Hon Omoregie Ogbeide Ihama, Hon Felix Akhabue and Hajia Hadizat Umoru.

The only aspirant, whose signature was not on the petitions was Asue Ighodalo, he’s believed to be supported by Governor Godwin Obaseki.

In their letter to Governor Makinde, who was appointed by the leadership of the party as the Chairman of the Committee to organize Ward Congresses to elect Ad-hoc Delegates for the governorship primary preparatory to the forthcoming governorship election slated for September this year, the aspirants drew the attention of the governor to some fundamental flaws that have the potential to compromise the process even before the Congresses commence.

The petition titled, “adulterated list of electoral and monitoring officers,” dated February 3^rd, 2024 reads, “We hereby congratulate you on your appointment as the Chairman of the Committee to organize Ward Congresses to elect Ad-hoc Delegates for the Governorship Primary preparatory to the forthcoming Governorship election slated for September this year. We recognize that you are truly a man of honour and we sincerely believe that you will deliver on the sacred mandate the task demands.

“It is in that regard that we write this letter to quickly draw your attention to some fundamental flaws that have the potential to compromise the process even before the Congresses commence. We speak of the lists of officers deployed to the Wards and Local Government Areas to conduct the Exercise Statewide.

“On the 30^thof January 2024, we wrote a letter to the acting National Chairman in which we drew attention to several anomalies contained in the list earlier published by the National Organising Secretary for the exercise. The letter was followed by a very cordial and fruitful meeting with the National Chairman and some other members of the National Working Committee of the Party..

“At that meeting, it was agreed that the National Working Committee will deploy credible members of our great Party from other States to conduct the entire exercise in Edo State.

“We were therefore shocked to find that there are three lists published and in circulation as officials to conduct the congresses. One of them appears to be authentic and in accordance with the agreed decision with the NWC while the other two are very suspect; one of them in particular is fraught with names of members of the Party in Edo State who are Government officials ranging from Special Assistants, Senior Special Assistants, Local Government Council officers and the like.

“For instance, Barr Idemudia Ilueminosen who is the Special Adviser to Esan Central Local Government Council, Sylvester Okoh is a Senior Special Assistant to the Governor of Edo State, Rev Felix Obhakhan is a member of Edo State Audit Commission, Hon Franklin Osawe is Vice Chairman, Egor Local Government Council and Ikponmwosa Eagle is a Senior Special Assistant to the Governor; they were all posted as Team Leaders of LGA Monitoring in their respective LGAs. These people have been detailed to participate in the supervision of a contest in which the Governor has shown uncanny desperation to impose a candidate for Party in spite of the very strong reservations of a cross section of leaders of the Party across the State.

“Even the Speaker of the State House of Assembly is listed as a Team Leader of the monitoring team to monitor the exercise in his own Local Government Area.

“While the first list appears to be okay on the face of it, the second and third ones are totally unacceptable and we therefore urge you to discard these tainted lists forthwith in order to preserve your hard earned integrity and the overall interest of the Party having regard to the forthcoming election in September 2024.

“We are also aware of the huge deployment of men of the Edo State Security Network who the Governor plans to unleash across the State to terrorise and intimidate innocent Party men and women in an exercise that ordinarily should be a family affair. This must not be allowed to happen; reliance can be had on the regular Police to provide security. We must always remember that after nomination comes election.

“Finally, we pray that God grants you the Courage and presence of mind to do that which is necessary to ensure we get a proper candidate for the Peoples Democratic Party in Edo State in whom the Party leaders and members have implicit confidence to offer to the electorate Flo what they want in a Governor.”

In another letter to the Acting National Chairman of the party, Amb. Damagum, the nine aspirants wrote; “Pursuant to our earlier letter dated the 30^thof January 2024, we wish to appreciate your Excellency and the National Working Committee for the prompt response to the issues raised therein.

“However, we have seen a copy of the letter which you wrote to the Chairman of the Independent Electoral Commission (INEC) giving the statutory notice of the Gubernatorial Primary Elections in Edo State duly signed by your good self and Hon. (Arc) Setonji Koshoedo as acting National Secretary.

“We have also seen two lists of the composition of the Edo State 3 Ad-Hoc Ward Congresses Electoral Committee and two lists of the Ward Congress Electoral Officers and a list of LGA Monitoring Officers.

“With regard to the notice to INEC, we humbly observe that it lacks legitimacy because it was signed by an acting National Secretary when we have a substantive National Secretary in office. This falls short of the statutory requirement contained in the Electoral Act.

“Furthermore, we are confronted by two lists of the Edo State 3 Ad-Hoc Ward Congresses Electoral Committee. The only similarity between them is that the Chairman is H. E. Engr. Seyi Makinde; the composition is different. We do not know which one is the authentic one duly approved by the National Working Committee.

“In addition, and equally important is the three lists currently in circulation as officers of the Party duly appointed to officiate at the Congresses. The first one is the purported list of Ward Congresses Electoral Officers.

“Yet another list is in circulation which purports to be a list of officers posted as LGA Monitoring officers comprising of three members.

“However, we have also seen another list of ‘Updated Edo Ward Congress Electoral Officers’ which is the only list completely free of adulteration. The first two lists are suspect as they contain names of Government officials in Edo State. This is contrary to the agreement we had with you and the NWC and we have raised the issue with the Chairman of the Edo State 3 Ad-Hoc Ward Congresses Electoral Committee, His Excellency, Gov Seyi Makinde.

“We believe we have raised very grave and fundamental issues here deserving of your urgent attention and we urge you to do that which is right and just, as you have promised.

“Always remember that the interest of the Party is paramount.”

Responding to his appointment and the petition of the aspirants, Governor Makinde declined his appointment as the Chairman of the committee and urged the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party to urgently look into the petition by the Edo state governorship aspirants.

In his letter to the party through the National Organizing Secretary, Hon. Umar Bature and copied the Chairman of the party Board of Trustees, Sen. Adolphus Wabara and the Chairman, PDP Governors’ Forum and Governor of Bauchi State, Bala Mohammed, Makinde said he declined the appointment because the notification was late and beside he has state engagements for the dates.

The Oyo state governor said he received petitions from gubernatorial aspirants in Edo State alleging that the process will not be fair.

He said: “Let me begin by first thanking the National Working Committee (NWC) of our great Party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), for nominating me to serve as Chairman of this very crucial and sensitive committee.

“However, given that I was notified of my appointment as the Chairman of this very important committee on Friday, 2 February 2024 for a congress scheduled for 3-4 February 2024, I regret to inform the NWC that I will be declining this appointment as I have prior State engagements for these dates. The late notification also means that I could not properly review any actions taken by the Directorate of Organisation before my appointment.

“Nevertheless, due to the fact that my appointment as Chairman was publicised, I have become privy to information that indicate irregularities with the process as follows:

“List of Appointed Electoral Officers: I observed that the current list of Electoral Officers (Eos) contains people from Delta State and some Edo State Government officials. To buttress this point, the current Speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly is leading the team of Eos in his own Local Government Area – this is against the principles of equity, fairness and justice for all aspirants. As the NWC is aware, the use of Eos for the conduct of congresses was designed to ensure transparency and accountability and this will be impossible to achieve with the current list.

“Petitions from Aspirants: Hours after it was publicised that I had been appointed the Chairman, I received petitions from gubernatorial aspirants in the State alleging that the process will not be fair. I have attached the petitions to this letter.

“Our great party is known for conducting very transparent primaries including presidential primaries. This, in my opinion, should be the benchmark for the NWC’s conduct of elections and associated activities across the board.

“Thank you once again for the trust reposed in me. Let me reiterate my commitment to our great party, the PDP and the tenets our party stands for. Please accept the assurances of my warmest regards.” (Sunday Independent)