Uncertainty continues to trail the outcome of the governorship Primary of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as about eight aspirants who contested the primaries are calling for the cancellation of the exercise.
Tony Nwoye defeated Sen. Andy Uba, George Moghalu and nine other aspirants with a wide margin at the primary election held in Anambra state on the 26th of August 2017.
It was gathered Tuesday that the aggrieved aspirants were demanding the repeat of the exercise alleging that Tony Nwoye, during the primary “brought thugs/NANS members into the accreditation venue to chase away delegates.”
One of the aspirants and a serving Senator, Andy Uba, had openly written a petition alleging that the exercise was marred with irregularities.
Secretary of the appeal panel, Dr. Nosa Aladeselu, who was speaking with newsmen at the party national secretariat while submitting their report to the APC National Organising Secretary, Osita Izunaso, confirmed that her committee actually received a number of petitions against Tony Nwoye’s victory.
“A number of persons submitted petitions and also a good number representing our party members from Anambra State also made personal appearances. We also have situations where some group that did not come, submitted affidavit of their understanding of the processes they observed to the committee.
“What we have in this report was a collection of those complaints and responses. After reviewing the petitions from our members at the primaries, we also invited persons, officials and other stakeholders indicted by the petitioners and key persons whose responses were key to our reports were also attended to and heard their witnesses.
“What we have in the report are the analysis of both the petition, our understanding of the witnesses we received and our recommendations to the NWC to decide on the final outcome in their own wisdom.”
Meanwhile, one of the aspirants who participated at the primary, Barr Nonso Madu, contrary to Andy Uba and other aggrieved aspirants position has faulted the claims.
Madu said in a statement he personally signed that “this is not true as the accreditation was conducted peacefully. Delegates were identified through the following means- Permanent voters card (PVC), National ID card, drivers 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, 2 weeks before the primaries. With the delegates known, their was little room for manipulation.”
The Nigerian Police 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. Our dear Senator Andy Uba even attested to this during his interview with pressmen at the accreditation venue.
“The allegation that delegates were swapped is simply laughable. After accreditation, delegates were conveyed to the voting center on marked buses with full police escort. There was no room for any maneuver as the delegates had no physical contacts with outsiders.”
