An aide to Asue Ighodalo, a governorship aspirant in Edo State, has disclosed that a petition written against the qualification of his principal was based on an outdated constitution of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Recall that in an attempt to disqualify Ighodalo, a coalition of aspirants and party leaders in a petition submitted to the screening committee which was signed by Musa Aliyu, Suleiman Braimoh, and Victor Ikponwonsa, claimed that Ighodalo didn’t meet the mandatory two years membership requirement to be eligible to contest for public office. The claim was premised on the provisions of the party’s 2012 constitution.
But a spokesperson from the Asue Ighodalo Campaign organisation, who craved anonymity, however, claimed that the provision of the 2012 version of the constitution which stipulated two years membership criteria is outdated since it was amended in 2017.
The statement reads in part: “The 2012 provision stipulated that a member must have a minimum of two years of membership to be eligible for election into any public office. However, the current 2017 amendment, signed by Prince Uche Secondus, specifically Section 50(4), allows a member who has spent only one month in the party to contest elections. Barr. Asue Ighodalo joined the PDP in May 2023, making him qualified under the current PDP Constitution to run for elective office.
“The flawed petition was submitted to Governor Caleb Mutfwang of Plateau State, who serves as the Chairman of the screening committee for the Edo State Gubernatorial Election 2024. However, despite this misguided attempt, the screening committee has cleared Barr. Ighodalo and issued him his clearance certificate. Now, all attention is focused on the ad hoc delegate congresses scheduled for Saturday, February 3rd, and the crucial governorship primaries in Benin City on February 22nd, 2024.”
The aide further noted that such conspiracies which are aimed at excluding certain aspirants are driven by the thirst for power, rather than the well-being of the people.
“As the 2024 Edo governorship elections approach, it is crucial for aspirants to effectively communicate their plans to the voters. Likewise, voters should go beyond mere politicking and thoroughly scrutinise the plans of the aspirants for the development of the state.
“Like Joseph in the Bible, we believe their plans to bring Asue down will lift up our candidate. We are focused on lifting citizens out of poverty and into prosperity. We hope that citizens prioritise good governance and prevent selfish politicians from sacrificing it on the altar of power,” he added.
