The National Working Committee NWC of the ruling All Progressives Congress APC has cancelled the results of last Saturday’s botched gubernatorial primary election in Ekiti state, and has consequently fixed this Friday for the conduct of fresh primaries. The NWC which took the decision after a marathon session between Monday and Tuesday however barred the agents of aspirants who were identified to have disrupted the process from further participating in the primary election in whatever capacity.
“Perhaps, more importantly is that the exercise of Saturday is cancelled and would now be conducted this Friday, 11th May, 2018”, said Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the party’s spokesman at a news conference. According to him, “the existing primary election committee is maintained, except the secretary who will now be substituted”.
The secretary, Hon. Magaji Aliyu who is a member of the House of Representatives had come under intense criticisms by some aspirants who accused him of trying to subvert the process, but Mallam Abdullahi said Mr Aliyu was never indicated for compromising the process but that ” virtually all aspirants complained that the secretary has a close relationship with one of their colleagues and so we decided to drop him in order to guard the integrity of the process and not because he was found to have compromised”. Other members of the committee who would work alongside its chairman, Gov. Umar Tanko al-Makura of Nasarawa state are; Mr. Duke Oshodin; Barr. Robert Okwuego and Mr. Tunde Balogun. According to the party, “All Identified unruly agents that participated in the suspended primary election of 5′” May 2018 are disqualified from participating In the rescheduled primary as agents. Accordingly, the following individuals are hereby disqualified from participating as agents or partaking in the rescheduled primary in whatever capacity; Ayodeji Omowaye, Rotimi Faleye, Kayode Afolabi, Oladele Ademola Samuel, Oyetunde Ojo, Akintade Olayisade and Temitope Adewumi.
“All agent tags must bear the name of aspirants they represent. All agents in the rescheduled primary election are hereby barred from coming to the voting arena with their mobile phones”. Other decisions reached by the NWC are: “Security agents from other states will be mobilized to secure the venue and officials in the rescheduled election. One person would be appointed subject to the consensus of all aspirants to assist persons with disability and illiterate voters. All aspirants must not leave their sitting position unless with the approval of the primary committee “All aspirants would be held vicariously liable for the conduct of their agents. Names of the following aspirants would now be written in the following order as stated below: Ajayi Olatunji Olowo and Olubunmi Kayode. “The NWC condemn the disruptlon of the Primary of 5th May and resolved that all found culpable, directly or indirectly will be punished in accordance with the relevant provisions of the party constitution”. Meanwhile, a chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress APC Comrade Timi Frank, has mocked those who have expressed dissatisfactions at the outcome of ward congresses of the party nationwide and the botched governorship primary in Ekiti, asking them to accept the result of their silence in the face of impunity.
Frank, however, said that the outcome of the congresses and Ekiti governorship primary has, once again vindicated him. In a statement issued Tuesday in Abuja, the “suspended” APC National Deputy Publicity Secretary expressed regret that ward Congresses could record 80 percent crisis across the country. “Once again I have been vindicated about my party, the APC. I have been speaking against injustice in the party all this while that the leadership under Chief John Oyegun as National Chairman has nothing to offer. I said his leadership will lead APC to destruction which the party is very close to now. “But I am surprised today that all the people crying and running up and down today about the congresses and Ekiti governorship primary election were keeping quiet when I was a lone voice. I want to beg them not to cry but joyfully accept what has happened to them because their silence brought the party to this level”, he declared. (Vanguard Ngr)