The leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has rescheduled the Ekiti governorship primary to Saturday, May 12th from the earlier fixed date of Friday, May 11th.
Publicity Secretary of the party, Bolaji Abdullahi, said that the primary would now hold on Saturday from 8a.m.
Recall that last Saturday’s primary was disrupted by agents of some of the aspirants who accused the governorship primary committee of colluding with some party chieftains to manipulate the exercise.
But speaking yesterday, Abdullahi disclosed that the rescheduled date was arrived at after due consultation among the party’s National Working Committee (NWC), all the aspirants and other parties.
The APC publicity secretary said after reviewing the report of the election committee, the party had decided to cancel the first primary, while banning the agents of the aspirants fingered in the crisis from further participating in the primary election in any capacity.
The APC disclosed that all the aspirants would be allowed to participate in the rescheduled primaries, to give a level-playing field due to the time limit, adding that necessary actions will be taken against agents found to have disrupted last Saturday exercise.
However, the names of the agents disqualified from taking part in the party activities are Ayodeji Omowaye, Rotimi Faleye, Kayode Afolabi, Oladele Ademola Samuel, Oyetunde Ojo, Akintade Olayisade and Temitope Adewumi.
It was also decided that the agents would wear tags that bear the names of the aspirants they represent.
However, political stakeholders in the country have disclosed that the spate of electoral violence in the country could only be curtailed if electoral offenders are punished, while berating the Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC) for refusing to follow the provision of the electoral law on punishment of election offenders.
Wale Ogunade, activist, lawyer and president of voter’s awareness initiative Lagos, said that the disruption of the APC primary in Ekiti without any punishment for the perpetrators signalled danger.
“What do you expect in this kind of system where impunity is the order of the day; there was a man who came out to say he used to rig election for PDP; what has been done to him? What happened in Ekiti is unfortunate, but it would continue because no one is punished, even the electoral law gives INEC the power to punish electoral offenders but how many have they punished? It is danger and means anybody can just come and kill INEC officers on election duty without anyone doing anything,” Ogumade said.
David Bayesha, a lawyer and senior advocate of Nigeria (SAN), has however, blamed the desperation of Nigerian politicians to occupy public office for the increased electoral violence in the country, adding that the refusal of successive administrations to punish electoral offenders has also fueled it.
“Of course, you know the kind of politics we play here; it is a do-or-die affair; winner takes all, and considering the lifestyle they live after being elected, they want to do everything to be there. But you have to also blame the system for encouraging impunity,” Bayesha said.
Iniobong Iwok
