The Labour Party (LP) in Edo State began screening candidates for ward delegates congress on Wednesday, ahead of the party’s governorship primary on February 23.
According to reports, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has scheduled the Edo gubernatorial election on September 21, 2024.
Speaking to reporters in Benin City during the ward delegates screening exercise at the party Secretariat, Kelly Ogbaloi, the party’s State Chairman, stated that the screening is intended to provide a fair process for the selection of delegates for the party’s primary.
Ogbaloi, who also chairs the 10-man screening committee for the Ward Delegates Congress, stated that two delegates would be elected in each of the state’s 192 wards.
He stated that the ward delegates congress is set on Sunday, February 18, and the local government delegates congress is scheduled for Tuesday, February 20, 2024.
According to him, the screening exercise is a typical requirement for dealing with the party’s internal politics.
“We want those who will eventually become the delegates of our party, who will contest it to be screened and be sure that they are competent in character and otherwise for them to be in the congress and eventually in the election of delegates that will come to the primary” , he went on to say.
He stated that the two chosen delegates from the ward congress will nominate seven members from each of the state’s 18 local governments.
He stated that the function of ward delegates will stop with the election of the seven local government delegates congress, as these are the only seven delegates who will compete in the governorship primary.
Ogbaloi added that those attending the ward delegates congress will pay N500,000, while those representing the local government will pay N10,000.
Sam Uroupa, the party’s State Publicity Secretary, claimed that the screening exercise was designed to prevent political godfathers from hijacking the process.
Uroupa, the party’s spokeswoman in the state, emphasized that there will be no statutory or super delegates in the primary poll.
He believes that the procedure will result in eligible and competent primary delegates at the ward and local government council levels.
“The screening includes both ward and local government delegates for our party’s primary. Its primary purpose is to verify that individuals screened are eligible to participate in our party delegate congresses.
“The conditions here are that a person must be a card-carrying member with a complete financial commitment to the party. That is, he or she must pay his or her party dues while also working for the benefit of the party.
“To be a legitimate party member, we required goods such as an LP Identify Card and a Voters Card, among others.
“Noteworthy, these are the people that are going to elect the ward delegates, the ward delegates who in turn are going to elect the Local Government Area delegates, the LGA 7 delegates, will in turn elect the party’s governorship flag bearer” , he went on to say.
He did, however, state that the entire primary would be free, fair, and trustworthy.
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