The All Progressives Congress National Working Committee has clarified why Imo State Governor, Senator Hope Uzodinma, was dropped as chairman of the Edo State Gubernatorial Primary Election Committee.
The party on Wednesday announced Cross Rivers State Governor Bassey Otu as the new chairman to complete the process it declared inconclusive on Tuesday night.
Addressing journalists on Thursday, the National Publicity Secretary of the party, Barrister Felix Morka, said the Imo State Governor has another critical assignment, the “presentation of a report, to the National Economic Council meeting today .”
He maintained that since his presentation before the NEC as Chairman of the Progressives Governors Forum coincided with the Edo primary to be completed today, he could not be available to supervise the latter.
The three-paragraph statements read to journalists by Morka read in part, “The attention of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has been drawn to reports in sections of the media suggesting that the Governor of Imo State and Chairman of the Progressives Governors’ Forum (PGF), His Excellency, Hope Uzodinma, was sacked or dropped as the Chairman of the Edo Gubernatorial Primary Election Committee and replaced with the Governor of Cross River State, His Excellency, Bassey Otu.
“We wish to clarify that Governor Uzodinma was neither “sacked” nor “dropped,” as has been erroneously reported, but was unavoidably unavailable to lead the completion of the party’s Edo State Gubernatorial Primary Election Process due to his prior scheduled attendance at and presentation of a report at the National Economic Council meeting today, February 22, 2024.
“As a result, His Excellency Bassey Otu, Governor of Cross Rivers State, who was the Deputy Chairman of the Committee, graciously accepted to serve as Chairman and to complete the Edo State Gubernatorial Primary Election Process.”
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