Ahead of its primary election scheduled to hold on June 25, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Saturday screened Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, a new entrant vying for the party’s ticket to contest the September 19 governorship poll.
Mr Obaseki was screened at the party’s headquarters in Abuja.
Speaking with newsmen shortly after he was screened by the Kingsley Chinda-led screening committee, Obaseki commended the party for the exercise, and expressed optimism that he would secure the PDP ticket.
“The screening exercise was fair and professional; I saw objectivity in it,” he said.
Obaseki said he was not a divisive candidate, adding that he was “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, but because we are individuals, our approaches may be different.
“So, party primary, in my view, should not be acrimonious and destructive. There are common grounds, common interests and I am very hopeful that I will get it even as there are quite a number of delegates for the exercise,” he said.
Asked of the credentials he presented to the committee, Obaseki said: “I presented all my certificates, my secondary school, higher school, university and my National Youth Service certificate, so that they can look at them and see if there are inconsistencies.
“You can ask the screening committee if there are any inconsistencies in any of them,” Obaseki said.
Also asked if he still enjoyed the sympathy of All Progressives Congress (APC) governors, Obaseki said he enjoyed national support, not just support from his colleagues in the ruling party.
The party had on June 5 conducted a screening exercise for three aspirants – Kenneth Imansuangbon, Omoregie-Ogbeide Ihama and Gideon Ikhine.
However, on Friday it granted waiver to Obaseki and his deputy, Philip Shuaibu, to enable them seek reelection under its platform, while it also shifted its primary election from June 23 to June 25.
