The All Progressives Congress has ordered the cancellation of the inconclusive governorship primary held last Saturday in Ekiti State. Before the exercise was thrown into chaos and disrupted by aggrieved persons, the exercise had been concluded in five local govt areas of the state.
Rising from an all night meeting of NWC where the rancorous primary was exhaustively deliberated, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, APCs National Publicity Secretary said a fresh primary is now scheduled for this Friday.
He said that the primary will still be conducted by the Governor Tanko Al- Makura led Committee, the only exception being the substitution of secretary of the committee, Hon. Magaji Aliyu. Name of the substitute secretary to the to the Primary Election Committee was still awaited last night.
Abdullahi further disclosed that the party has identified all unruly agents that instigated the disruption of the primary election on Saturday, whom he also said are disqualified and barred from participating as agents or acting in any other capacity at the rescheduled primary.
He listed those disqualified from any roles in the primary as Ayodeji Omowaye, Rotimi Falaye, Kayode Afolabi,
Oladele Ademola Samuel, Oyetunde Ojo,
Akintande Olayisade and Temitope Adewumi.
And to forestall a repeat of the violence that trailed the cancelled primary, the APC spokesman reeled guidelines that must be followed by participants pointing out that accredited agents in the rescheduled primary are now to were tags that bear the name of their principals.and are not permitted to enter the voting area with their cell phone.
The party also resolved to draft more security personnel to the venue of the primary, a veiled indictment of the activities of the local police in Ekiti state.
On the threat to.disqualify candidates found to have played unwholesome roles in the cancelled primary, Mallam Abdullahi said the party does not have the luxury of time to exercise that disciplinary function.
According to him, before any person is disqualified as stated by the party, that person will be given the opportunity to state his case. He said the party is trying to meet INECs May 14 deadline for submission of names of party’s flagbearer.
Meanwhile a member of the APC National working committee and National Vice Chairman, South South of the party, Hillard Eta has dismissed the decision of NWC as the position of one man .
Eta said that other members of the NWC were not part of the meeting where the decision was taken and accused Chief John Oyegun of deliberately destroying what is left of the unity in APC.
