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Edo State governor, Godwin Obaseki, has passed the screening test of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP ahead of Thursday’s primaries, having submitted all academic credentials for scrutiny.
Obaseki who arrived the Wadata Plaza, national headquarters of the PDP at 2:50 PM loval time, brimmed with smiles as he told reporters that contrary to tales woven around his certificates, he presented same to the screening committee without any issue arising thereof.
He said: “The screening was fair, it was very professionally done. You could see objectivity and I presented all my certificates- my secondary school, higher school, university and my National Youth Service Certificates, so that they can look at them and see if there are inconsistencies in them.
“You can ask the screening committee if there are any inconsistencies in any of them.”
He thanked governors elected on the platform of the All Progressives Congress, APC, even as he claimed that he enjoys support across the country.
“I thank God that I enjoy national support not just from my colleagues from the APC. I think the support is national. There are elder statesmen who are apolitical, there are traditional rulers.
“I have people from different spectrums of the society who come around to support. Generally, I think Nigerians are generally fair-minded people. They are people who do not accept injustice.
“From what I have seen over the past several weeks and months, the support is just across board. It is not just from APC governors alone.”
He pledged to continue consultation with other governorship aspirants saying, “I am not a dividing candidate. I am speaking with all the aspirants. My hope and purpose for the PDP is to have a united and very strong party.
“Party primary should not be divisive because we as a party are focused on the same objective and because we are separate individuals, our approaches may be different.
“So party primary in my view should not be acrimonious and destructive. And there are common grounds, common interest and I am very very hopeful that I will get it even as there are quite a number of delegates for the exercise.
He dismissed the insinuation of wrestling with any ideological change following his defection to the PDP. According to him, “my experience is that having served four years as a governor,
“I don’t see that ideological divide, it doesn’t exist. I think the focus for me is development. Whether you are a conservative or a progressive, it is expected that the outcome should be development.
“And unfortunately, I get a bit confused in the APC that at some point, I was being accused of not sharing the money.
“When we were campaigning against PDP, we said that the problem there was that they were sharing the money. So for me, it cannot be about ideology.
“At this point in time, it is important that I provide strong and correct leadership, provide a direction for the country and about our people, provide the basic amenities that they need, education, health care, good infrastructure.
“These are the things that our people are yearning for. These are the things that we are doing in Edo state today.
“So whether as a progressive or as a conservative, my ideology is about the people; getting the people to enjoy the benefits of democracy,” he added.
Governor Obaseki would on Thursday, June 25th, test his popularity at the delegate election against the trio of Hon. Omoregie Ogbeide-Ihama, Engineer Gideon Ikhine, and Mr Kenneth Imansuangbon, unless a consensus arrangement is arrived at.
Obaseki had on Friday defected to the PDP alongside the Edo state deputy governor, Mr Philip Shaibu with whom he intends to seek a renewal of his mandate on September 19 this year.
