|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
All in now set for the All Progressives Congress, (APC ), scheduled governorship primaries on Saturday as the party’s National Working Committee, ( NWC) cleared the way for 4 disqualified governorship aspirants to contest the Governorship Primaries holding in Ado Ekiti.
This is just as the party has declared that it is fully prepared to provide a level playing field for all the aspirants and conduct a free, fair and peaceful primary, on Saturday.
National Working Committee of the APC reversed the decision of the former Governor Timpriye Sylva led screening committee which had earlier disqualified the aspirants, thereby paving the way for them to contest the primary.
Thirty three (33) aspirants had obtained and submitted expression of interest and nomination forms to contest for APC ticket ahead of the July Ekiti Governorship election.
Osita Ozunasor APC National Organizing Secretary, while inaugurating the Ekiti Governorship Primaries Committee led by Tanko Almakura Wednesday at the party’s National Secretariat revealed that 4 out of the 33 aspirants were disqualified but the NWC has cleared them.
“There were 33 aspirants that bought forms out of which the screening committee has disqualified 4 remaining 29 but I have just been told the NWC has cleared them, therefore you have 33 aspirants contesting for the primary election”, Izunaso stated.
He however, did not reveal names of the disqualified aspirants nor provided reasons for their decisions to clear the aspirants
The Organizing Secretary who stated that the party was ready for the primaries said it has put in place security arrangements, secured venue for the election and has released list of delegates to all aspirants in the contest.
While handing over ballot papers and other materials Governor Almakura, the committee Chairman, Izunaso charged the committee to conduct credible primary election following strictly the party’s guidelines for primary election.
According to him” If we conduct a transparent primary, any aspirant that wins will surely become the next governor of Ekiti state… The party has no preferred candidate, there is no such thing in our lexicon. It does not exist. All aspirants are equal until after the election”
He announced that aspirants are not automatic delegates except those who acquire it statutorily and said party EXCO at all levels, members of Board of trustees, caucuses as well as members holding elective offices are automatic delegates.
Izunaso added that the National Secretariat of the party has approved that accreditation and voting should be done in at the same venue while delegates should be identified by Permanent voter cards, driving licences, international passport in addition to the party’s membership card.
Responding, Chairman of APC Ekiti Governorship Primaries Committee, Governor Almakura promised to ensure justice, fairness, peace and transparency characterised the exercise to reinkindle the hope of the people in APC and to produce a candidate that would be acceptable by all so that APC would take over Ekiti State.
“We will ensure free and fair election, conformity and adherence to all the guidelines so that by the time the exercise is over, the Party will become stronger and more cohesive. This will be the beginning of the assurance of our great party to reclaim the mandate in Ekiti state” the Nasarwa Governor stated.
James Kwen, Abuja
