Admin l Wednesday, January 11, 2017
BENIN CITY, Nigeria – The Youth Wing of President Muhammadu Buhari’s Campaign Organisation, Edo State Chapter has challenged the plan of some chieftains of the All Progressives Party, APC and top government officials to impose candidates on them in the coming House of Representatives bye election in the state.
The group alleged in a statement made available to our correspondent on Wednesday that some top government officials in Edo State had called a meeting of some select party leaders from the three LGs of Etsako to endorse an aspirant, Mr. Johnny Oghumha as the candidate for the coming election.
The group kicked against the endorsement and imposition, alleging that the government functionaries were out to compensate Oghumha for agreeing to be a witness in Edo Governorship Election Tribunal.
“So many APC faithful, APC delegates and community leaders are rejecting Johnny’s imposition and will expect all aspirants to go and test their weight and popularity at the poll,” the group said.
The group said that one of their leaders, Blessing Agbomhere was also contesting for the House of Representatives and would be ready to test his popularity rather than politics of imposition, which the government of Edo is now embarking on.
“The meeting is highly coded and strictly called to handpick candidate irrespective of his antecedent” the group noted.The fear in government circle is that if all the aspirants are given the free hand to test their popularity among the party delegates, the youngest aspirant, and a former governorship aspirant, Blessing Agbomere will win the primaries because his popularity has suddenly soared among the delegates, the traditional rulers and party leaders in Etsako,” the statement noted.
According to the group, Agbomere is seen by the establishment as too radical and independent minded to be given such a high and sensitive elective office.
It stated that Agbomhere’s closeness to the presidency coupled with the fact that he is a major player in the youth wing of Buhari Campaign Organisation is another reason why the powers that be in the state were not too comfortable with him.
After John Akigbe and Cyril Oshiomhole had dropped their aspirations for promise of choice appointments in the government, several overtures were said to have been made to Agbomere with a view to making him to drop his House of Representatives ambition but information available at the moment indicated that the youthful aspirant was insisting on going for a free, fair and transparent primary to pick the party’s ticket.
