Leading aspirants for the governorship ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC) have jointly called on President Bola Tinubu to intervene and replace Imo State Governor, Senator Hope Uzodinma, whom they described as overzealous, as chairman of the elections committee.
In a joint statement signed by Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, Chief Lucky Imasuen, Senator Monday Okpebholo and General Charles Airhiavbere (retd), the aspirants passed a vote of no confidence on Uzodimma, lamenting that the Imo State Governor did not conduct last Saturday’s primary according to relevant provisions of laws and regulations guiding the election as provided both in the Electoral Act and in the APC Constitution.
The action of the aspirants followed the emergence of three contestants in the primary which the National Working Committee (NWC) of the APC declared as inconclusive on Tuesday.
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Although the National Chairman of the party, Abdullahi Ganduje, had congratulated one of the contestants, Dennis Idahosa, who was declared the winner by Uzodimma, the NWC said the exercise must now be concluded on Thursday.
Following Uzodimma’s announcement of Idahosa as the winner of the primary, the returning Officer of the exercise, Stanley Ugboaja, on his part had declared Senator Monday Okpebholo as winner.
Similarly, the local government returning officers for the primary election, led by Babatunde Ojo, had also declared Anamero Dekeri, a serving House of Representatives member, as the winner of the exercise.
The ensuing confusion forced the party through its spokesman, Felix Morka, to address the press saying, “The NWC resolves that the Edo State governorship primary election has not been completed and has now fixed Thursday, February 22, 2024 for the completion of the APC primary election process,”
To arrest further erosion of the process, the leading aspirants said in their statement, “We strongly believe that whatever was responsible for his flagrant disregard for due process and unusual hasty declaration of unconfirmed fictitious results of the primaries outside the designated collation centre may not have abated from his mind, and therefore may be repeated if given the opportunity to play the same role as chairman in the process.
“In the circumstance, we are calling on Mr President to kindly use his good offices to replace Senator Hope Uzodinma with any other respected member of our great party, as chairman whom the President strongly believes will comply with the law, maintain internal democracy, protect and defend the integrity and goodwill of the President which he has attained over the years that endeared him to both national and international stakeholders.
“Furthermore, we believe that this is the only way to remedy the ridicule and embarrassment that Uzodinma’s tactless and overzealous behaviour, which in the view of keen observers of happenings in the ongoing process of nominating a viable candidate of our party, runs within the borderline of mischief and clotted with antidemocratic vestments, unknown to law.
“We have implicit confidence in Mr President’s devotion to justice, equity and fairness in the process that will produce the Gubernatorial Candidate of our party in Edo State which is now rescheduled for tomorrow 22nd February 2024, and also ensure victory for our party in the governorship election that is scheduled for September, 2024,” they added in their statement.
Similarly, a group known as the Directorate of Political Affairs and Governance of the African Civil Society Forum has called on Uzodinma to step aside as chairman of the primary elections committee “having conducted a shabby primary which is described by Nigerians as quagmire to build trust on the process.”
In a statement by its chairman, Dr. Tunji John Asaolu, the group said “Nigerians, especially the APC members need to build trust and confidence on the election committee which Hope (Uzodimma) does not represent.”