Why we display aspirants credentials- APC

TRACKING____The All Progressives Congress (APC) has displayed the credentials presented by the six aspirants seeking to be its candidate in the Edo State governorship election.

The credentials were displayed at the APC national secretariat in Abuja .

The six aspirants whose political and academic credentials are on display are the incumbent governor, Godwin Obaseki; a former chief of staff and secretary to the state government, Osagie Ize-Iyamu; a former Minister for Works, Chris Ogiemwonyi; a former deputy governor, Pius Odubu; Matthew Iduoriyekemwe and Osaro Obaze.

In a brief interview with journalists at the party’s secretariat on Monday, the party’s spokesperson, Lanre Issa-Onilu, said the party decided to display the documents to enable members of the public help it in vetting the information submitted by the aspirants.

“We are also taking other official steps to verify some of these documents to ensure we do the right thing and come out clean,” Mr Issa-Onilu said.

Asked whether the party had on its own verified the information presented by the aspirants with the security agencies, Mr Issa-Onilu said the process the party has adopted is also effective.

He said merely putting the documents before the public would enable people who know the aspirants very well, such as their “mates, acquaintances, friends, or even enemies” to come up with whatever they have on the claims in the documents. “So, we are expecting help from whatever it could come from.

“What we are interested in is to ensure transparency and ensure compliance with our own constitution; the Electoral Act and the Constitution of Nigeria which gives everybody a fair chance and to be seen to have done our best,” Mr Issa-Onilu said.

It would be recalled that the APC candidate was last year disqualified after winning the Bayelsa governorship election on the ground that the running mate to the governorship candidate has multiple identities in his credentials.