Governor Godwin Obaseki has rejected the approval of the direct mode of primary for the All Progressives Congress (APC) primary for the Edo State governorship election by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

INEC National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, Festus Okoye, had on Tuesday said that the commission approved the mode of primary for the APC at the end of the INEC management meeting held virtually.
Okoye said INEC approved the direct primary only for the APC, while the commission approved the indirect primaries for PDP and other 13 parties for the selection of their candidates.

The INEC commissioner added that party primaries for the Edo governorship election will take place between 2 and 27 June 2020.

Reacting to the development, governor Obaseki, through his media aide, Crusoe Osagie said the electoral body only approved the mode of primary the APC National Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole requested for.

“Right now, there is a restraining order on APC, Oshiomhole and all the other agencies from carrying out any activity relating to the primary in the state pending the determination of the substantive suit before the Court,”
He said that aside the Court order, there is a regulation monitoring the activities due to COVID-19 in Nigeria and Edo state, which prevents anybody to carry out activities that are similar to direct primary election in the state.

According to him, other parties have complied and it is expected that the APC should comply too, adding ‘there is an order on the ground preventing people from gathering in all the local governments and 192 wards of the state for the purpose of direct primary.