Ahead of the 2015 general elections in Edo state, a combined figure
of about 302 aspirants have so far picked nomination forms on platform
of the two major political parties in the state, namely, the Peoples
Democratic Party (PDP) and All Progressives Congress (APC) in Edo to
contest for 36 parliamentary seats available in the state in the 2015
general elections.
A breakdown of nomination forms obtained by
aspirants indicates that nine persons are gunning for the three senate
tickets in the APC primaries, just as 11 aspirants, including a woman,
will jostle for the tickets in the PDP.
On the other hand, 30
contenders have emerged for the nine tickets to the House of
Representatives’ seats in APC, against the 41 aspirants who have
indicated their interest on the platform of the PDP.
Similarly,
for the state assembly elections, 117 aspirants have picked forms under
the APC, while 94 contenders will vie for tickets under the PDP.
Edo
state Chairman of the APC, Anselm Ojezua, while commenting on the
development, attributed the high number of aspirants seeking to contest
on the platform of the party to its popularity among the people of the
state.
He explained that APC would organise a meeting comprising all the
party organs at which the aspirants would be sensitised on the
guidelines for the party primaries to ensure fairness.
“We are
actually going to have a meeting with the all the party organs in the
state and the aspirants where we brief them on the guidelines and the
timetable for the exercise. The rules are very clear and we have assured
them that we are going to have a transparent process,” Ojezua said.
He
revealed that the party had a gender sensitive policy which it had
demonstrated through the 15 women who had secured their nomination
without paying fees.
Also speaking in the same vein, the State
Chairman of PDP, Chief Dan Orbih, described the figure as a reflection
of the rising profile of the party against the ruling APC. He expressed
confidence in the party’s ability to file credible candidates for all
the available positions in the elections.
“It is the outcome of
our conscious effort that has brought that figure. It is also good for
democracy and it will afford the members of the party opportunity to
choose from the many people who have indicated interest to contest on
that platform,” he said.
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