By Jethro Ibileke

The Edo State chapter of Labour Party (LP), on Wednesday commenced screening of aspirants for ward delegates congress, ahead of the 23 February, governorship primary of the party.

The state chairman of the party, Kelly Ogbaloi, told journalists at the party secretariat in Benin, that the screening is to ensure a fair process for the emergence of delegates for the party’s  primary.

Ogbaloi who doubles as chairman of the 10-man screening committee for the ward delegates congress disclosed that two delegates would be elected in each of the 192 wards in the state.

According to him, the ward congress will hold on Sunday, 18 February, while the local government delegates congress is scheduled for Tuesday, 20 February, 2024.

Delegates to the ward congress are expected to pay ₦5000 while those for the local government congress are to pay ₦10,000.

He said: “We want those who will eventually become the delegates of our party, who will contest it to be screened and be sure that they are competent in character and otherwise for them to be in the congress and eventually in the election of delegates that will come to the primary.”

Ogbaloi explained that the two elected delegates from the ward will nominate seven delegates each from the 18 local government areas across the state.

He added that the function of ward delegates ends at the election of the seven local government delegates congress, as only the seven delegates that would participate at the governorship primary.