Oyegun, APC chairman

Jethro Ibileke/Benin

A claim by an Edo APC governorship aspirant, Engr. Chris Ogiemwonyi, alleging that Permanent Voter Cards of delegates to the party’s primary election were being purchased for another aspirant, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, has been rubbished by the Obaseki Campaign Organisation.  ‎

Engineer Ogienwonyi had accused member representing Etsako Federal Constituency of the State, Mr. Philip Shuaibu of meeting with APC delegates and giving them the sum of N10,000 each to purchase their PVCs on behalf of the Obaseki Campaign Organisation.

Mr. Shuaibu and the Coordinator of  Obaseki Campaign  Organisation in Edo north, Abbas Braimah, described the allegation as unfortunate. He also dismissed the claim by Ogiemwonyi that the state House of Assembly was shut down for its members to give support to Obaseki.

Besides, they challenged Engr. Ogiemwonyi to provide a video evidence of where Permanent Voters Card (PVCs)  were  being purchased from party members with a view to manipulate the June 18 governorship primaries in favour of Obaseki.

‎”Ogienwonyi is displaying ignorance of happenings in the state since he does not know that the House of Assembly was on recess.

“I am surprised that he will be making such an allegation. When I heard it I was like no, he is more intelligent than to even think such things exist. But it is like I over rated his intellect, he has shown he is not the person we thought he was. If a person that wants to be a governor of a state do not know the difference between PVC and party card in a primary then it is unfortunate.

“I have contested election more than four times; no INEC card is used to conduct primaries. It shows he does not know what party politics is all about. This is  a blackmail and he forgot that I am a super delegate. How can you say you want to be governor and also accuse the State Assembly of abandoning their duties to escort an aspirant to submit his form? Those legislators are also super delegates and they will vote that day.

“Nobody contest primaries with INEC PVC and nobody can buy PVC for the purpose of general election, how many PVCs can you buy. This meeting that he is talking about is the seventh of its kind that I am holding, we have endorsed Obaseki because my Federal constituency gave me the mandate that we are all supporting Obaseki and we have no regrets.‎

“We are only mobilising delegates to support Obaseki and not buying PVCs. I feel that he lacks the moral standing to even talk about this; he is even the one that has been paying delegates for over six months. He has deep pocket; I want to assure him that we have deep knowledge. He should stop blackmailing us and face his campaigns,” Shuaibu said.

In his own comment, Braimah, a former  member of the House of Representatives, said: “I am surprised and shocked with his allegation. Let me make it clear that I was present in that meeting and I challenge him to produce the video evidence he said he has to back his claim otherwise the party should discipline him for this cheap blackmail, embarrassment and harassment.”

He explained that the House of Assembly members were on recess and thanked them very profoundly for coming to Abuja to support the adoption of Obaseki.‎

The author, Jethro Ibileke, can be reached at [email protected]