The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has cleared all the 10 aspirants who obtained its nomination form for the February 22 Edo State governorship primary.

The aspirants were screened on Monday by a panel headed by Plateau State Governor, Caleb Mutfwang.

Eleven aspirants obtained the party’s expression of interest form, but one, Balogun Egiele Sunday, according to the National Organising Secretary Capt. Umar Bature (rtd.), did not pay for the nomination form.

Bature who issued the aspirants provisional clearance certificate on Tuesday, however, denied that Asuerinme Ighodalo, who is believed to be the choice of Edo governor Godwin Obaseki for the PDP ticket, was chased out by other aspirants for allegedly being rude to the Deputy Governor Philip Shaibu.

Ighodalo was not among the aspirants presented with the provisional clearance certificate on Tuesday, which seemed to give credence to the rumour.

There was also rumour that he would be disqualified because he joined the PDP late last year, and has not spent the constitutional requirement of 12 months to qualify him to run for office on the PDP platform.

But Bature disclosed that Ighodalo was issued his own clearance certificate on Monday.

“No aspirant was disqualified. Ten aspirants obtained the nomination form and all of them were cleared. One person bought the expression of interest form but did not obtain the nomination form,” he explained.

Among the aspirants issued the clearance certificate on Tuesday were, Deputy Governor Philip Shaibu, a member of the House of Representatives, Omoregie Ogbedie Ihama, former Director General of the PDP Governors’ Forum Osaro Onaiwu, daughter of former Edo governor Omosede Igbinedion and former Chairman of PDP in Edo State, Anslem U. Ojezua.

Others are Felix E. Akhabue, Arthur Esene, Ambassador Martin Uhomoibh and Umoru Adizetu Hadizat.