The coast is now clear for Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu to contest for the governorship ticket of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Edo State as the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party on Thursday night granted him a waiver to participate at the party’s primary.
The committee also adopted direct primary option for the emergency of the party’s flagbearer for September 19, 2020 Edo State governorship election.
A source at the meeting which ran into late hours of Thursday night said NWC granted waiver for the former Chief of Staff and Secretary to the Edo State government in view of the electoral value he will had to the fortunes of the ruling party in the state.
Ize-Iyamu, believed to be the endorsed candidate of Comrade Adams Oshiomole, National Chairman of the party, recently decamped to the ruling party in the state. He was the gubernatorial candidate of the Edo State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the 2016 Edo State gubernatorial election.
The NWC also adopted the direct primary option for the Edo State APC governorship primary slated for June 22, 2020.
It was gathered that NWC had resolved to adopt the option earlier used in the state for the governorship primary. This the committee further noted would give every card carrying member of the party to determine who the flagbearer is for the state governorship election.
On Ondo State governorship primary slated for 20th July, 2020, our source at the meeting said the committee was yet to consider the Ondo State primary. “We have a month after Edo State primary before Ondo State. We only deliberate on Edo State. We shall do that of Ondo very soon,” our source hinted.