Hon. Anamero Dekeri, an All Progressives Congress candidate for governor of Edo State, has criticized the APC Pruning Committee’s report for being unsatisfactory.
The Edo State governorship election was scheduled for September 21, 2024, by the Independent National Electoral Commission. The APC set February 17, 2024, as the date of the primary in which its candidate would be chosen.
To guarantee a peaceful primary election, the APC established a committee as an internal mechanism to screen and reduce the number of candidates to a manageable number.
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In light of this, the committee reduced the field of candidates from 29 to 10, and then to six, with two candidates from each of the three senatorial districts. The list was further reduced to four, with two senatorial candidates from each of Edo Central and Edo South.
In response, Dekeri, a member of the House of Representatives who represents the Etsako federal constituency, declared in Abuja on Monday that he was resolved to run for the Edo 2024 governorship on the APC ticket.
He declared that there should be a fierce competition of ideas, values, and leadership abilities in the Edo State APC ticket race.
“It is imperative to notify everyone that the committee was established as a result of an internal decision made by our party’s state leaders to assist the party and candidates in sparing resources so they could conduct the primary election well and avoid entering the general election split, which could lead to complaints from those who didn’t win the primaries,” he said.
It was decided and accepted that the committee must treat all candidates fairly, and that, in accordance with its terms of reference, their function is advisory only. All candidates, as anticipated, submitted to the screening process in compliance with the committee’s mandate.
Even the State Party leaders who established the committee saw through the committee’s report, which completely misrepresented the candidates’ genuine performances and lacked substance. Before the house was made aware of the fact that our great party, the APC, has clarified that the appropriate organ that has the locus standi to screen aspirants after they obtain and submit the expression and nomination forms in accordance with Section 84 of the Electoral Act as amended is the APC National Working Committee, they were proposing an appeal committee to right the wrong.
“I would like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude to the party faithful and my throng of supporters for their unwavering support of my candidacy as the front-runner.
“I genuinely think that I am the candidate to beat and the best choice for the APC to win the upcoming election because of the kindness of my beloved Edo people, my experience with the oppressed and the average Edo person, my dedication, competences, and track record.”
Dekeri pleaded with the APC hierarchy to preserve democracy and provide equal opportunities for all eligible candidates.