The All
Progressives Congress (APC) Anambra governorship primary appeal
committee submitted its report to the party’s National Working Committee
(NWC) yesterday...
While submitting the report to the
party’s National Organising Secretary, Senator Ostia Izunaso, at the
party’s national secretariat, the committee’s secretary, Dr. Nosa
Aladeselu, revealed that the committee received petitions from several
aspirants demanding the cancelation of the August 26 party primary.
Speaking with journalists after
submitting the report, Aladeselu said “a number of persons submitted
petitions and also a good number representing our party members from
Anambra State also made personal appearances. We also had situations
where some groups that did not come, submitted affidavits of their
understanding of what they observed to the committee.
“What we have in this report is a
collection of those complaints and responses. After reviewing the
petitions from our members at the primaries, we also invited officials
and other stakeholders indicted by the petitioners and key persons whose
responses were key to our reports.
“The report also includes the analysis of
the petition, our understanding of the statement by the witnesses and
our recommendations to the NWC to decide on the final outcome in their
own wisdom,” Aladeselu said.
Meanwhile, one of the spirants who
participated in the primary, Nonso Madu, has dismissed the petition from
Senator Andy Uba, which called for the cancelation of the primary over
irregularities.
Madu in a statement said: “My attention
has been drawn to a petition written by Senator Andy Uba and addressed
to the governorship primaries appeal committee of the APC. I had earlier
expressed disbelief when an online publication reported that Uba was
putting pressure on members of the committee to annul the primary
election. I had doubted the authenticity of the report, due to the way
he commended the entire process while voting was ongoing and gave
assurance that he was going to emerge victorious.
“After seeing the petition, I must say
that I am unimpressed that our distinguished Senator would tarnish an
exercise that was painstakingly organised by the Governor Kassim
Shettima-led electoral panel and adjudged to be the best so far
conducted.
“In the petition, Uba accused Nwoye of
bringing thugs into the accreditation venue to chase away delegates.
This is not true as the accreditation was conducted peacefully.
Delegates were identified through their Permanent voters Card (PVC),
National ID card, driver’s license or International passport.
“They also came with their party
membership slip with photograph issued to them by the party during
registration. The party had already made the delegates list available to
all aspirants two weeks before the primaries. With the delegates known,
there was little room for manipulation. The Nigerian police force led
by Anambra State Police Commissioner, Umar Garba, the DSS and other
security agencies provided adequate security at the accreditation venue,
making it nearly impossible for the venue to be infiltrated by thugs.
“The allegation that delegates were
swapped is simply laughable. After accreditation, delegates were
conveyed to the voting center in marked buses with full police escort.
There was no room for any manoeuvre as the delegates had no physical
contact with outsiders. The road leading to the voting venue was not
even accessible to commuters and other road users, as it was cordoned
off by security agencies, making it impossible for any non-accredited
person to gain entrance to the venue.
“Most importantly, during voting, once a
local government was called, the various ward chairmen were called to
vote first, and then line up in front of the hall to identify delegates
from their ward who then proceed to cast votes. The allegation of
presence of thugs at the venue is untrue, except if Senator Uba is now
referring to genuine APC members as thugs simply because they did not
vote for him.
“Uba also alleged that some delegates
have gone to court to depose to affidavits on what transpired. Our party
leaders should note that this tactics was used in 2013 to scuttle the
ambition of Nwoye after he defeated the same people in a primary
televised live on national TV. The litigation went all the way to the
Supreme Court and by the time judgment was delivered, Nwoye had just 10
days to campaign. Despite the short time left for him to campaign, he
still came second in the general elections”.
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