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By Akinwande Soji-Ojo
Reprieve came for the 14 members-elect of the Edo State House of Assembly, who were not inaugurated on June 17, 2019, when Governor Godwin Obaseki issued the inauguration proclamation, as the state chapter of the All Progressives Congress(APC) announced automatic tickets for them for the 2023 general elections.
The state secretary of the party, Mr Lawrence Okah, disclosed this in Benin city on Tuesday, at the official declaration of Osaro Obazee, who is seeking to contest the House of Representatives ticket for Oredo Federal Constituency,
Okah, however, explained that anyone among the 14 members-elect who chose to seek for another elective position other than the House of Assembly would have to go through the primary.
“The fourteen lawmakers from our party have the right of first refusal because of the way they were treated by the government of Godwin Obaseki, that is what we have said because despite all they have passed through, they have remained with the APC.
“Osaro Obazee has done well, he has been the mayor of the city, he has done very well and this is for people to learn that patriotism is very important, we know what he did when he was chairman of Oredo Local Government Area,” Okah said.
Speaking, Obazee, who is a former Chairman of Oredo Local Government Area, said he decided to contest for the Oredo Federal Constituency slot to give the people an improved representation than what they had.
He stressed that his antecedent, coupled with the alleged disenchantment of the people about the ruling Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) put him in good stead to win the election if he picks the ticket.
“I am a consultant in political affairs in my local government. I am not trying to praise myself but I am coming from the grassroots and I have done my sampling so I am not afraid that if I get the ticket of the party I will be contesting against a ruling government because even within them, we have done sampling of opinion and they have said severally that they are dissatisfied with the leadership of their party .
“So what that means is that it creates an opportunity for people like us that are contesting to reach out to them and we have done a very serious homework and we believe the election will be won. My antecedents were there when I was a local government chairman,” Obazee said.