First Refusal: Go For Primaries, Tinubu tells Obaseki – Edo APC – – National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Sunday in Lagos met a delegation from the Progressives Governors’ Forum led by its Chairman, Kebbi State Governor, Atiku Bagudu.

The APC governors had come to plead for a soft landing for their colleague, Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, who is embroiled in a supremacy battle with his political godfather and the party’s National Chairman, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole.

Already a strong contender believed to be backed by Oshiomhole, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu had picked the party’s gubernatorial nomination form.

Ize-Iyamu, a former Chief of Staff and Secretary to the Government of Edo State, contested the 2016 gubernatorial election in the state against Obaseki on platform of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).

He recently defected to APC and was given a waiver to contest the primaries of the party for the governorship ticket.

At the meeting held at Lagos Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s residence at Old State House, Marina, the governors sought for an option of first refusal for Obaseki.

The APC leader, however, told them that it was good to go for primaries where there are more than one aspirants, saying what is important is the process should be fair to all contestants.

He also spoke of his support for direct primaries, involving all party members, as a way to grow the party.

In the delegation among others were Governors Abdullahi Ganduje (Kano), Oluwarotimi Akeredolu (Ondo), Mai Mala Buni (Yobe), Abubakar Badaru (Jigawa), Adegboyega Oyetola (Osun), Simon Lalong (Plateau) and Obaseki himself.