Edo APC uses consensus arrangement as Igdomigodo emerges Edo South senatorial candidate

BUOYED by the successful outcome of last Sunday meeting of stakeholders and leaders of Edo South All Progressives Congress (APC) in Benin where consensus candidates were chosen for the various elective positions in next year election, Governor Godwin Obaseki yesterday contained another round of meeting with leaders from Edo Central senatorial district.
Though details of the marathon meeting with the leaders and stakeholders from central were still sketchy as at press time, a clear picture of consensus candidates who are going to fly the party’s flag in the forthcoming election in Edo South yesterday started to emerge in Benin.
At a leaders and stakeholders meeting with Edo South leaders which was presided over by the governor in Government House, he made it clear to the gathering of his preference for consensus arrangement instead of acrimonious primaries which most times end up in chaos.
While Obaseki is tasked with selecting consensus candidates for Edo South and Central senatorial districts, the party national leader, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, has been mandated to handle that of his home base, Edo North senatorial district.

A close party source who was at the Edo South meeting explained that the governor explained that he was in favour of his time-tested method of consensus which he used during the last local government election.


The source added: “At the meeting, Governor Obaseki told the leaders clearly that he was for consensus which he used during the last council polls. Also during the party congress, all the executive council members, both at the State and the Local Government levels were selected through consensus. That was how the party chairman, Mr Anslem Ojezua, and members of his exco emerged. This time around, he didn’t hide his preference for consensus which has worked wonderfully well in Edo.”


For Edo South senatorial race, the source who would not want his name in print disclosed that at a meeting with leaders from Oredo Local Government Area, the Governor gave a nod to former member of the House of Representatives, Mr Patrick “Igodomigodo” Obahiagbon while the current Majority Leader in the Edo State House of Assembly, Mr Osaigbovo Iyoha was selected for the Oredo Federal Constituency.
Also, former Deputy Speaker and current Commissioner for Information and Orientation was selected to go contest for his old Egor House of Assembly seat
while former chairman of the council, Mr Cosby Eribo, has been pencilled down to replace him as commissioner.
The source added that so far, it is only Igodomigodo who has collected nomination form which closes today ahead of the party primaries which come up on September 27, hence the selection of the ex-lawmaker was less acrimonious.
Continuing, the source noted that once the candidates have been chosen through consensus arrangement, the September 27 primaries will be a mere formality.