Ten candidates will compete for the support of 563 delegates in the upcoming governorship primary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Edo State.
The primary, scheduled to take place at Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium in Benin, aims to determine the PDP’s candidate for the forthcoming September 21 governorship election in the state.
Among the prominent contenders are Philip Shuaibu, the Deputy Governor of Edo State; Asue Ighodalo, former Chairman of Sterling Bank; and Blessing Igbinedion, daughter of Chief Gabriel Igbinedion, the Esama of Benin Kingdom. Other aspirants include Anselm Ojezua, Felix Akhabue, Martin Uhomoibhi, Hadizat Umoru, Omoregie Ogbeide-Ihama, Dr Earl Onaiwu, and Arthur Esene.
The state Organising Secretary, Tony Anenih Jr., released party guidelines on Wednesday. According to the guidelines, delegates are required to report at Edo Hotel Marque in GRA, Benin City, for accreditation beginning at 8 am. Upon accreditation, delegates will receive security access cards and will be transported to the primary venue in designated buses.
To ensure a secure and orderly process, only accredited buses carrying delegates will be permitted at the primary venue. Vehicles transporting governorship aspirants will drop them and their guests at the gate before departing. Seating arrangements at the venue will be organized according to local government representation, while each aspirant will obtain two security tags from the Edo PDP Secretariat, located at 59 Airport Road, Benin City. Each security tag admits one guest only.
The guidelines emphasize that only delegates, invited guests, aspirants, accredited journalists, and civil society organizations will be granted access to the primary venue. The Edo State PDP Chairman, Tony Aziegbemi, assured that the party is committed to conducting a transparent and credible primary election, setting a benchmark for future primaries nationwide.
Aziegbemi stated, “The party’s responsibility is to ratify the results of the delegate elections, which they have done, and the list of delegates has been made available to all aspirants for engagement and lobbying ahead of the primary election. We urge our members to conduct themselves appropriately to ensure a smooth primary election.”
Meanwhile, the Edo State Police Command has learned from the recent delegate primary election of the All Progressives Congress (APC) held last Saturday, which ended in controversy with three declared winners. The police spokesperson, Chidi Nwabuzor, stressed that such elections should no longer be perceived as solely a party affair. The command is determined to uphold law and order, protecting the lives and property of party members during the primary process. As a result, the APC will conduct a fresh primary election today to resolve the dispute.