Ten governorship aspirants have scaled the first hurdle as the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Edo State screens the candidates jostling to pick its ticket.
The Julius Ihonvbere-led panel set up by the party to screen and prune down the number of aspirants is expected to recommend six candidates for the party’s primary election.
“The ten aspirants are to be taken through another round of scrutiny to further bring down the number to six, taking into consideration the principles of equity and equality of zones”, said a political stalwart.
Each zone will be represented by two aspirants each.
Among those who passed the first screening four are from Edo South while three aspirants are from Edo North and Edo Central Senatorial districts respectively.
The Ihonvbere committee, as learnt, would reconvene tonight to consummate the process for onward transmission of list to the party leadership.
The decision to prune the number was mooted by the party leadership to achieve a small size of aspirants for ease of managing the potential fallout from the primary election.
“It is much easier to negotiate with and manage a small number than a crowded field. There will be horsetrading, expectedly, and the party will do well to take a decision as to a process that will be acceptable to the aspirants and their numerous supporters.
“We want to be able to forge a united front going into the crucial governorship poll on September 21, this year. The APC must put forward our best candidate who is capacitated enough to trump the best of te PDP and the Labour Party,” an APC chieftain said.
Meanwhile, among the four shortlisted from Edo South by the committee are Dennis Idahosa, Lucky Imasuen, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu and General Charles Airhiavbere.
The three recommended from Edo North are the immediate past minister of state for Budget and National Planning, Prince Clem Agba, Prince Kassim Afegbua and Dr Ernest Umakhihe, who recently retired as a permanent secretary in the Federal Civil Service.
From Edo Central, the three recommended are former Deputy Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Hon Festus Ebea; former APC state chairman, Dave Imuse and Senator Monday Okpebholo.
Former Governor of Edo State and former NNational Chairman of the APC, Senator Adams Oshiomhole is expected to preside at tonight’s meeting where the final list of approved aspirants would be unveiled.
But a report by GWG said that there were move, according to unnamed sources, to remove at least some of the aspirants “that may not be too pliable to the unofficial party leadership in the state.”
“It was gathered that the committee is under pressure to drop General Airhiavbere and Pastor Ize-Iyamu in Edo South, and also drop Prince Afegbua in Edo North. The committee is also said to be under pressure to drop Ebea and present Senator Okpehelo and Imuse from Edo Central.
“The development is already causing apprehension within the party with insinuation that the adoption of Imuse and Okpebhelo would edge out the Old Agabzillo, the area of Esan land that is yet to produce the governor of the state.
“GWG.ng reports that Prof Ambrose Alli and Prof Osunbor the only two Esan sons to serve as governor from the state are from the Old Okpeho side of Esan Land,” said the report.
