The ruling All Progressives Congress has begun a reconciliatory process to reunite Edo federal lawmaker, Dennis Idahosa, and other aggrieved governorship aspirants who lost out during the state primary of the party.
Recall that Senator Monday Okpebholo clinched the party’s sole ticket when he polled 12,433 votes to defeat Idahosa, Dr Blessing Agbomhere, and nine other aspirants after the previous poll was declared inconclusive.
Idahosa has since challenged the electoral process by dragging the National Working Committee of the party to court for cancelling the initial February 17 primary.
But the APC NWC insisted that there was no foul play in the poll that produced Okpebholo as the winner.
The leadership of the party, however, admitted that they had opened dialogue with Idahosa and other supporters of the APC in Edo State to ensure they had a united front against candidates of the Labour Party and Peoples Democratic Party.
In an exclusive interview with Sunday PUNCH, Deputy National Organising Secretary of the APC, Nze Chidi Duru, confirmed that there was an ongoing talk with Idahosa to make him rethink his actions.
He also told our correspondent that as democrats, the APC cannot stop any aspirant or party member from going to court over any contentious issue.
He said, “Your observation is right. Most aspirants have congratulated the Edo governorship and also acknowledged that the primary was free and fair. And, of course, somebody like Idahosa has taken the party to court in protest. But the party is not in a position to stop anybody, otherwise, we cannot be called democrats.
“It is not as if he (Idahosa) is threatening to drag the party to court. The case is already in court as we speak. But the party has made their position known.
“They have made it clear that we conducted a free and fair electoral process. We have also asked him to consider the impact on the party and the position he holds in the House of Reps.
“He should also understand the party is supreme. He must not throw the party under the bus in such a way that will make people wonder if we are democrats. I am sure the matter won’t drag on till September. It must be resolved in the next few weeks.
“It is a matter for the court, and the court does not usually take long to dispose of election petition matters. But as I said, we are democrats and we will continue to plead with him with the hope he will reason with the party.”
The acting chairman of the party in Edo, Jareth Tenebe, also shared his sentiment.
Tenebe, however, stated that aside from Idahosa, virtually every one of the aspirants had aligned with the party’s position and congratulated the candidate.
“APC is a party in Edo State that everybody wants to associate with. That is the more reason why we also had more aspirants, most of whom have congratulated the governorship candidate, Senator Monday Okphebolo,” he said.
