By Mod - 2 hours ago - [ Update Vanguard ]
By Alemma Aliu
BENIN — Governor Godwin Obaseki’s alleged hostility towards politicians has been traced to the way he was fleeced by them during the indirect primaries that led to his emergence as the candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC in the Edo State governorship election, Charles Idahosa, an APC chieftain has said.
Mr. Idahosa who served as political adviser to the immediate past governor of the state, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole in an interview said the delegate system of enthroning political party candidates was sufficed with corruption, which put Obaseki off from politicians when he emerged as governor of the state.
“One of the reasons that Obaseki has not been able to forgive the political class is the money he spent for his nomination because of the delegate process that was followed, it was not a direct primary,” Idahosa told Vanguard in an interview during which he gave a robust support for the direct primary method for selection of candidates.
Noting the money-spinning exercise that characterised the Edo APC primaries, Idahosa speaking from his frontline position said:
“It was a fortune for the delegates; the delegates were camped in hotels, first-class hotels for three days, they were paid thousands of naira. They were increasing it moment by moment, minute by minute.
“Meanwhile when we put those people in as ward executives, we never knew they would become delegates. The candidates saw hell, not only Obaseki, Odubu (Pius) and others faced a similar challenge, they (delegates) were moving from one hotel to the other, so I don’t want that to happen because, in direct primaries, you cannot share money for every member of the party.”
“In 2007, I contested the governorship ticket with Adams Oshiomhole, the present National Chairman, it was direct primaries, and I lost. It was very clear to me that I lost because Oshiomhole at that time was already a household name because of his labour antecedents.”
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