The Independent National Electoral Commission accredited Observer Group’s have expressed shock and embarrassment over the imposition of Local Government candidates in the inconclusive Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) primaries in the State, allegedly by the Edo State Governor,Adams Oshiomhole.
The observer group made up of Transparency Movement, Movement for Transparency and Protection of Peoples Right, Coalition of Civil Society on Election Observation and Centre for Gender Rights Initiative, in a report dated 13th February 2013, said that there was no compliance with the ACN constitution, guidelines and other sundry rules guiding the conduct of primary election in Edo State. It further observed that Edo State government machinery was apparently deployed to favour an anointed candidate Hassan Kadiri, who is one of the chairmanship aspirants in Estako West Local Government Council of the State. Hassan Kadiri, the group stressed is a political appointee of the Edo State Board of Internal Revenue, who was allowed to participate in the primary election against the screening criteria used by the ACN party in Edo State.
The INEC observer Group’s said “that, it must be pointed out that in every political party structure; there must be compliance with rules and electoral guidelines. Stressing that compliance with the aforementioned processes remains the yardstick for measuring the level of respect to principles of internal party democracy and the law”.
The group said given the fact that Edo State Governor Comrade Adams Oshiomole’s is an advocate of a strong electoral process that leads to credible elections in Nigeria and a recent beneficiary of one one man one vote, it set out to monitor the preparations for the conduct of the ACN party primary, elections and compliance with the party’s constitution and the guidelines for the conduct of the party primary elections in the state.
It observed that there were evident attempts by few party officials to railroad Oshiomole’s anointed candidates Hassan Kadiri through the process of Kangaroo arrangement. The INEC accredited observer group, explained, that Hassan ought to have been declared ineligible to contest the primary on the ground of non-resignation from his position in the Edo State Government.
The group explained that in-spite of the efforts by the state party machinery to tint the primary in favour of Oshiomole’s candidate, the other chairmanship aspirant Shuaibu Elamah, had done his home work and clearly mobilised party delegate’s in large number during the exercise. The turnout of women and youth voters was impressive. It is interesting to note that majority of the delegates, party leaders and card carrying members overwhelmingly came out and voted for Shuiabu Elamah.
However, some faction of party officials who came to the polling sites were more interested in declaring, Oshiomole’s anointed candidate, even before voting had commenced or completed. Surprisingly, the state ACN officials told delegates who had come to vote to go home, as matters have already been completed. However, in an overwhelming majority 10 out of 12 polling site Shuaibu garnered majority of the votes.
But unfortunately, at the party secretariat where announcement of results ought to have taken place, some party officials, superintended by the ACN Local Government Chairman in Auchi, collation was not allowed and hence there was no declaration of winner, which is against best practices for transparent election.
In another development, the aggrieved candidate in the election, Shuaibu Elamah, has gone to court over the matter. Surprisingly, Oshiomole’s candidate Hassan Kadiri, on the 20th of Feburary, 2013, decided to rough handle a court bailiff, who went to serve him the court papers. The Edo State Chief Judge who was embarrassed by Hassan action, order his immediate arrest. The substantive suit will come up for hearing on the 7th of March, 2013 in Auchi.
