By Chimezie Godfrey
Aggrieved Plateau state All Progressive Congress, APC, governorship aspirants have called for a redress of the fraudulent conduct of the recently concluded primary election in the state.
The aspirants made their grievances known in a statement signed by the Secretary of forum of Plateau APC Governorship Aspirants, Dr Danyard Dakon Sarpiya made available to Newsdiaryonline on Saturday.
They recalled that on Monday 9th May, 2022 that they had addressed the press over the happenings in the party as preparations were going on to select a standard flag bearer as APC candidate in the state which they raised fundamental issues that are capable of derailing the fortune of APC in the state if not addressed.
According to them, the issues raised bordered on lack of sincerity, hijack of the selection process of candidate by the Governor and his family members, no level playing ground for all aspirants, among others.
The aspirants added that these warnings manifested when party officials, Local Government Chairmen and commissioners were directed to work and return Dr. Nentawe Yilwada or risk losing their positions.
The aspirants disclosed that they were supported by the APC Elders Advisory Council led by Mr. Danladi Wuyep the acting Chairman and Equity and Justice Forum led by Barr. Oumar Shittien who reminded Governor Simon Bako Lalong of being a beneficiary of a protest of imposition by Governor Jonah Jang and wondered why he has forgotten so soon, that Plateau people had thrown their weight against any form of imposition of candidate adding that Governor Lalong’s case cannot be an exception.
The aggrieved APC stakeholders in the light of the foregoing among others, declared the exercise null and void, as they called on Gov. Lalong, the National Chairman of the party, among other stakeholders to address the fraudulent conduct of the primary election to save the APC in Plateau state.
They said,”Governor Simon Bako Lalong and the party had been warned of not playing to avoid the repeat of Zamfara and Rivers State primaries in 2019 which made them to completely got aged out, the same scenario if not worse is being played in all the APC primaries in the state.
“We wrote to the National Chairman on the 25th May, 2022 complaining of no delegates election in any ward in the state and we have delegates forms paid and supplied by the party uptill this time there is no information
about the delegates election.
“We were informed that the expired party congresses delegates will be adopted for the governorship primaries which we objected that it was contrary to the provision of the electoral act and the party guideline. Even the expired adhoc delegates continued to have alterations at the venue of the primaries and the final list was not made known to aspirants to even campaign for votes. Only to have arranged people queuing for election as delegates with tags even those from our local wards were not known to us.
“The venue was over taken by government officials to safe their appointments, all the Local Government Chairmen and Government appointees who were not delegated yet they were more in the hall than the delegates.
“The exercise started with accreditation of Qua’an Pan delegates and voting followed immediately with all the delegates being illiterates that they cannot write and they gave all their ballot papers to the agents of Dr. Nentawe Yilwada to cast their votes and it was followed by Langtang South Local Government who went the same way. It was at this point we all walked out in protest.
“We have written and appeal to the appeal committee for a redress of this fraud to save the APC on the Plateau.
“Our grounds of appeal are as follows:
- That we are registered members of the All Progressive Congress
Party. - That our membership in the party is over the mandatory requirement of 12 months.
- That we obtained and submitted the prescribed form to contest in the gubernatorial primaries of our Party after paying the mandated fees into one of the party’s accredited Bank.
- That we all have obtained far beyond the required minimum educational qualification for the position.
- That there was no delegate election and the list of delegates was
constantly being amended with the last change effected on the day of the primaries. - That the delegates were sequestered by political appointees as well as Local Government Chairmen.
- That during the primaries, unauthorized persons were in the venue to intimidate and follow up delegate votes.
- That the whole process was not in consonance with the APC Guidelines for the Nomination of Candidates for the 2023 General Elections, The All Progressive Congress Constitution (October 2014 As AMENDED) as well as the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999(As Amended).”
The aggrieved aspirants further stated that they all had identical experiences as it concerned preparations for the primaries, noting delegates became a mirage and could not be identified.
According to them, rather than conduct delegate elections to produce delegates that would vote in the primaries, information reached them that the delegates that elected the state officers of the party were going to be adopted as delegates for the primaries.
“Strange as that was, we could not work to garner votes from delegates as the list kept changing even until the day of the primaries. Suffice to say that we all had no list of delegates will date.
“Attempts to find out who the delegates were and to reach them was almost impossible as they were accommodated by Local Government Chairmen as well as political appointees who kept personal watch over them hindering us from having access to them.
“Worthy of note is the fact that contrary to Article 28 of the guidelines, these Local Government chairmen and political appointees who had no business in the venue of the primaries were allowed entry to immediate and facilitate votes unjustly.
“The over 80% of the delegates literally handed over their ballot paper to the agent of the purported winner who filed in what he wanted as their votes.
“That contrary to Article 3(j) of the guidelines, the purported winner who until has recent resignation from the Independent National Electoral Commission, is a member of the party for only 4 months and some days now making him ineligible to contest the gubernatorial primaries.
“Being that we are loyal members of this great party with no intention of flouting our laws and running a parallel agenda so as not to jeopardize the state and national interest of this party in the 2023 general elections.
RELIEFS SOUGHT:
- A declaration that the Gubernatorial primaries held on the 26/5/22 that returned Dr. Nentawe Yilwada is not in consonance with the APC Guidelines for the Nomination of Candidates for the 2023 General Elections, The All Progressive Congress Constitution (October 2014
AS AMENDED) as well as the Constitution of the Federal Republic of
Nigeria 1999 (As Amended). - A declaration that the Gubernatorial primaries held on the 26/5/22 is null and void and liable to be set aside.
- An Order for review of congresses from the ward level upwards for the proper election of delegates to participate in another primaries to produce a credible candidate,” they stated
