Godwin Obaseki, governor of Edo State, has insisted that there will be no direct primary in the state, ahead of the June 22 All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship primary election.
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He stressed that only indirect primary can hold in the state, in accordance with the rule gazetted in newspapers on Friday.
“That in respect of political gatherings for the purpose of conducting primaries for any of the parties desiring to field candidates in the forthcoming gubernatorial election, gatherings of more than 20 persons may be allowed, subject to the written approval of the Governor, if such gatherings do not exceed 5,000 persons; hold in Benin City and in a single facility with a large seating capacity of not less than 10,000 persons; are provided with adequate health, safety and sanitary facilities and are COVID-19 response compliant with social distancing policy, hand-washing and proper use of face masks fully observed,” the new rule partly read.
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Obaseki, through his Special Adviser on Media and Communication Strategy, Crusoe Osagie, said the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19, has advised governors to manage the coronavirus outbreak as it is peculiar to their states, The PUNCH reports.
“The Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 has said in its briefings that states should manage the pandemic through measures unique to their states.
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“On the basis of that, we have deployed this measure in Edo State, the rule has been gazetted and so direct primaries cannot hold here as far as that regulation is concerned. So, it has to be indirect, in order to be working in line with the extant rule in the state.
“The only mode of primary that is permissible according to that law is indirect primaries, and we believe it is correct to do so because for that option, it is just one location and you can deploy all agencies of government responsible for ensuring compliance with the protocols”.
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While being reminded that the party’s National Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole, has already written to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), that the party will use the direct mode of primary in the state, Osagie stated:
“He can write, and the fact that he wrote doesn’t mean that is what is going to happen. The rules have to be followed. Don’t forget that the first responsibility of the governor is to protect the lives and property of the people.”
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But The PUNCH further said Festus Okoye, INEC national commissioner, on Sunday, noted that the commission’s rules, regulations and laws allowed it to only relate with national chairman and national secretary of political parties, saying that the decision of the party chairman will be followed.
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