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C'River North APC Primary : Separating Truth From Fiction

On Thursday August 3, 2020, members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) from Cross River North Senatorial District showed a very strong resolve to making history by electing a candidate freely desired by party members in a direct primary election for the October 31st bye-election. The process is in line with constitutional provisions as contained in the Electoral Act.

As expected, the national leadership of the party appointed the Primary Election Committee Panel as well as senatorial Returning Officers who were to work hand in hand for the success of the exercise.

Members of the panel included
Alh Suleiman Nakowa(Chairma), Jenkins Gianne Gwede (Secretary.), Sen. Saidu Umar Kumono, Goodluck Opia, Alh.Ibrahim Makol, Hon.Chinedu Ogah qnd Mr.Paul Abalak. The Returning Officers were three namely, Barr. Lazarus Undie, Dr. Chris Ojikpung and Dr. Achadu.

Out of the seven panel members, six (6) traveled to Cross River on the 2nd of September 2020 ,while one didn't. All the Returning Officers were on ground.

Before the six members who came finally settled to travel to the North, the corrupt and compromised Chairman of the panel tried everything possible to just fill results in favor of a particular aspirant and submit in Abuja after allegedly collecting $50,000 from the said aspirant.

It took the intervention of a team of agents of other aspirants and the insistence of one of the panel members, Hon. Chinedu Ogar for them to move materials down to Ogoja, the natural headquarter of the Senatorial district.

While on their way, a former governorship candidate of APC who has never contributed a single vote to APC in any election since he joined the party kept calling in a bid to divert the materials to a location where they can fill result for their preferred aspirant. As confessed by a panel member, he called him and was asking why he was frustrating their plans.

The boisterous former Senator who has done everything within his power to undermine the North has been working day and night to ensure that a strong character with overwhelming support base like Akpagu doesn't emerge from the north so that he can continue to Lord over the party as well as undermine the Senatorial district.

It's quite unfortunate that some APC leaders who should ordinarily challenge his arrogance and excessive greed to control everything in the party have even submitted themselves to be used as his stooges to perpetrate the act against the people.

Abuja to Ogoja is a straight road but he kept pushing them to wonder about through the South East in an attempt to diver materials. They finally arrived in Ogoja at about 12:30 midnight as his plans failed.

On getting to Ogoja, instead of lodging materials in  the Police Station as it's done everywhere, they drove straight to Gomara Hotel, owned by one of the supporters of Joe Agi, SAN their preferred aspirant. As they got to the Hotel, they had contacted Agi's coordinators to be on ground to hijack materials but the attempt again was foiled by some party faithful who went to wait for them in Abakalike to monitor the materials up to the Hotel.

The next day, instead of the committee to distribute the materials to party members early enough for the exercise, the Chairman remained in his hotel room till about 12 noon. At some point, he came and pack sensitive materials to his hotel room without explaining to party members the reason for such action. Thank God, whatever he had in mind failed when some chapter Chairmen followed him head on inside.

When all his plans failed, he came with another obnoxious suggestion again that materials should be shared to wards instead of chapters as it should be. He spent more than one hour to try to convince people to do this but again, party members, security agents and INEC officials kicked against the idea.

Sensing that all his plans to hand Agi, his preferred aspirant undue advantage failed, he bowed to the wishes of the people and distributed materials. But this wasn't without another plan and this time, unknown to party members and all the stakeholders. Immediately materials went to the field and knowing that his benefactor, Agi wasn't on ground, he said, he needed to change hotel but nobody knew he was heading to Abuja to go concoct results for someone who didn't even have the courage to go to his ward to vote himself.

On Friday, while the Returning Officers where in Gomara Hotel in the hall paid for by them to collate the results, people began to realize that the Committee Chairman and other members were no longer in Ogoja. But all other stakeholders including Press men they brought from Abuja, INEC, DSS and the Police were on ground to witness the exercise.

When the Returning Officers noticed that they were no longer around, they consulted with the Head of INEC team, Barr. Asuqou Affia and some committee members who were not favorably disposed to the shenanigans of the Chairman but had to follow him to monitor what he wanted to do and were permitted to go ahead and announce the results since they were also legally appointed by the party as Returning Officers.

But immediately the results were announced that Prof. Zana Akpagu won in the presence of the Acting Area Commander of Ogoja Police Area Command, INEC officials, Civil Society Organizations and INEC observers from Abuja the fake results concocted by the Chairman and two other compromised panel members surfaced online. They even allegedly bribed the Secretary who didn't travel to Ogoja to sign their reports backing their fake results.

However, questions begging for answers by many who see the APC panel members action as funny, shameful and disgraceful are;

Why did the panel members travel with Joe Agi to Abuja?  Were they supposed to leave just immediately materials were distributed without waiting for the results?  Why did primary election committee members in other states announced results where election took place and Cross River North own was announced in Abuja?

Thank God, three other panel members led by the incorruptible Hon. Ogar have disassociated themselves from their mirage.

It's very unfortunate that some Abuja politicians are trying to foist a man who cannot face his opponents in the primaries on the party to face the ruling PDP in the state. Now that party leaders in the north have spoken loudly, the party has a choice to either allow the wishes of the people prevail or give the PDP a smooth ride in the election.

Inyali Peter writes from Calabar
Politics 246274962809208982

Post a Comment

  1. The upright results should be published or another election would take place

    ReplyDelete
  2. This cry is not necessary, Joe Agi's team will never be distracted by this fear expression, those cooking this up should rather devote their time in preparation for the general election because come October 31st 2020 they will be taught how elections are won with overwhelming grassroots support

    ReplyDelete

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