EDO 2016: Iduoriyekemen emerges PDP factional governorship candidate; As Oshiomhole orders locked stadium opened

AGENE GODWIN, Benin
Mr. Mathew Iduoriyekemen, Wednesday emerged the factional candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, ahead of the September 10 governorship election in Edo state
It was observed that the ballot papers and boxes used for the event were plain and devoid of INEC logo like the ones used in the earlier PDP and All Progressives Congress, APC, primaries also held at the same venue even as the delegates were asked to write the name of the aspirant of their choice.
In addition, the accreditation of delegates for the orchestrated convention took place at the campaign office of Iduoriyekemen with delegates who reportedly came from the 18 local government areas of the state arriving in buses, many of which had Kogi, Bauchi, Imo and Delta state vehicle plate numbers.
Many had initially headed for the Ogbe stadium for the exercise but met the place barricaded by armed security personnel, a development, sources say, forced the factional acting chairman of the PDP in the state and former chairman of the PDP in Ondo state, Mr. Ebenezer Alabi, to seek audience with the state governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, who ordered the re-opening of the stadium for the exercise.
Alabi had earlier rationalized the event saying that, “Today we are faced with the problem of who is the authentic person that can sign a valid nomination to INEC, presently the court ceded that power to Ali Modu Sheriff”.
“So if we want to have a valid candidate for the election in Edo state, we must do something proper … And that is why we are here to comply with the order of the law and ensure that we have a proper candidate for our party in the forthcoming governorship election in Edo state”.
The factional primaries which had Mr. Iduoriyekemhen, a former member of Edo Assembly, who had earlier contested with Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu and Chief Solomon Edebiri and Mr E.J. Agbonayinma, a member of the House of Representatives as contestants did not start until 3: 45 pm at the Tennis court of the stadium.
Ironically Agbonayinma who was Iduoriyekemhen’s agent in the last primaries which was held at the same location and won by Ize-Iyamu is from the same local government, Ikpoba-okha in Edo south district of the state.
Before both aspirants rationalized their reason for seeking to fly the party flag on September 10 2016 the deputy national chairman of the Sheriff faction Dr Cairo Ojuogboh pleaded with leaders of the party to intervene and allow Sheriff to put the party back on track at the national level.
He said, “the problem of the party stems from a desire of some leaders of the party to handpick a presidential candidate for 2019 even when Sheriff has said repeatedly that he has no intention of running for the high office in 2019”.
The head of the electoral panel Alhaji Ahmed Gulak said , “what we are doing here today will result in the PDP taking over the seat of the Edo state government in September, ” adding that , “the crisis in the PDP is about the rule of law”.
The high point of the event was the decision of Agbonayinma to drop his aspiration and declare his support for Iduoriyekemhen adding that he shares the vision of the aspirant which tallies with his interest in politics at inception”.