APC national chair Abdullahi Ganduje has urged the party’s Edo governorship primary election committee to conduct a free, fair and credible primary.

Mr Ganduje made the call in Abuja while inaugurating the APC Edo governorship primary election and appeal committees headed by Governor Hope Uzodimma.

He said the composition of the two committees was a product of the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) in accordance with the party’s constitution.

He said the 12 cleared governorship aspirants were free to appeal at the end of the primary should they have any observations, saying, “That is why we have an appeal committee which is like the Supreme Court.”

Speaking on behalf of committee members, Uzodinma said the APC would develop a candidate appealing to the Edo electorate.

He thanked Mr Ganduje and the party’s NWC for the confidence reposed on members of the committees.

Mr Uzodimma, also the Progressives Governors Forum (PGF) chairman, urged the APC leadership to pray to God to give committee members the wherewithal to carry out the assignment.

Mr Uzodimma said, “It is indeed an honour to call on all of us as members of these two important committees to go to Edo to midwife the process of selecting a gubernatorial candidate for the state’s forthcoming governorship election.

“It is a thing of big trust, and we feel humbled. On behalf of myself and members of these committees, we want to thank you and the party’s NWC for this show of confidence.”

He added, “And our prayer is that we work hard to justify this confidence imposed on us. Our party is a fantastic brand, very popular, and a good product.

“It behoves members of our committee to work in harmony with the party’s local leadership in Edo to bring up a product that will look like our party and is easily marketable in Edo.”

He assured the party’s leadership that members of the committees would do their best to ensure a free, fair and credible primary that would be acceptable to all.

Earlier, the APC national organising secretary, Sulaiman Argungu, said the party had entrenched a system of equity where its stakeholders were assured of the fidelity of the process based on the candidate’s emergence from a transparent exercise.

The other members of the committees are Governor Bassey Otu of Cross River, Titilayo Tomori, Umar Hassan and Lawal Garba, among others.

Alhaji Rabiu Sulaiman, a former secretary to the Kano government, would serve as Secretary of the Edo Governorship Primary Election Committee.

Earlier, the APC cleared all the 12 governorship aspirants jostling for its ticket to contest the September 22 Edo governorship election.

The 12 aspirants are Clem Agba, Monday Okpebholo, Lucky Imasuen, Anamero Dekeri, Osagie Ize-Iyamu, Gideon Ikhine, David Imuse, Charles Airhiavbere, Oserheimen Osunbor, Blessing Agbomhere, Dennis Idahosa and Ernest Umakhihe.

The schedule of activities for the Edo governorship election, as released by the APC, showed that campaigns would start on April 24.

(NAN)