A group, Concerned APC Stakeholders in Edo State, have given reasons why the party may not have a candidate for the September 21 governorship election in the state.
In a statement on their behalf by Barrister Douglas Ogbankwa, their legal counsel, the group enumerated as follows:
“That the INEC approved venue for the 17th February, 2024 All Progressives Congress(APC) Primaries in Edo State is Lushville Hotel, Gapiona Avenue, GRA, Benin City and no other place. This venue is known to all participants in the primaries and Protea Hotel, Benin City, is not a venue on record known to INEC. Any activity that purportedly took place at Protea Hotel, Benin City on the issue of the announcement of the APC Primaries in Edo State is nullity.
“The only recognized and recognizable Chief Returning Officer for the Edo 2024 Governorship Primaries appointed by the APC National Working Committee(NWC) is Stanley Uzomaka Ugboaja Phd. Governor Hope Uzodinma was only a ceremonial Chairman of the process and it does not behove on him to declare the results. Dr. Ugboaja declared the results as required by law and we are afraid that if any other candidate not declared by the officer required by law is presented to INEC, the APC may not have a candidate for the Edo 2024 Governorship Elections. This is because the process of the election of candidates are very technical and specific. Any slip that is generated by political expediency shall cost the APC dearly. This is the experience gleaned from judicial precedence on the score. There is a plethora of authorities, which are extant on this issue.
“That the only result that was collated in the duly authorized APC Result Sheet is that which declared Senator Monday Okpebholo, as the candidate of the APC for the Edo 2024 Gubernatorial Elections. The Sheet used to do whatever was done concerning Dennis Idahosa was done on a plain sheet of paper.
“That the purported exercise that purportedly produced Hon. Dennis Idahosa, cannot stand the rigours of the court process, as the votes cast by the purported voters were more than the number of accredited voters at the primaries.
“That the only exercise observed by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), as provided for by Electoral Act, 2020, was the exercise that produced Senator Monday Okpebholo as the candidate of the APC and INEC inserted its imprimatur in the results sheets which was issued in the official APC Result Sheets, as opposed to the one handed over to Hope Uzodinma for announcement by Hon. Dennis Idahosa‘s Chief Campaign Manager. There was no collation and transmission process in the purported Dennis Idahosa announcement, as the purported announcement was an arrangement of friends, not following the process provided for by the Electoral Act.
“Primary Election is a process regulated by the Electoral Act, 2020 and not the whims and caprices of some power merchants and the only primaries that followed the process provided for by the Electoral Act, 2020 and the APC Constitution is the one that produced Senator Monday Okpebholo, who is the APC Governorship Candidate for Edo State.
“Governor Hope Uzodinma was not around all through the processes of the organisation of the primaries and he only showed up to announce false results late, when he is not the Chief Returning Officer, as provided for by the APC Constitution. The action Governor Hope Uzodinma took in announcing a false result was ultra vires his powers, as announcement of results, is not within his job description, as provided for by the APC Constitution.
“There is only one APC in Edo State and in Nigeria and all the members of the State Working Committee(SWC) are united in justice to ensure that the person who was duly elected by the APC at its primaries – Senator Monday Okpebholo, is sent to INEC as required by law.
“APC currently are in the bad books of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) in Edo State, due to the brutalisation of their members, who were invidiously attacked by promoters of the usurpers and the only way to assuage their grievances is to ensure that the usurper does not steal the mandate of the people.
“This is a test case on the integrity of APC in Nigeria, as a whole and it is an opportunity for the APC to redeem itself, as Nigerians are watching with keen interest. Posterity beckons on us all.
“We wish to state with untainted equanimity, that any other candidate being taunted about as a purported candidate of the APC for the Edo 2024 Governorship Elections, aside the duly returned candidate – Senator Monday Okpebholo, presupposes that APC does not have a candidate in Edo State.
“It means that APC will be given the Rivers and Zamfara States treatments, which unfortunately are tied to the antics of the same man that is behind this charade, being attempted in Edo State.
“We humbly and passionately call on the President of Federal Republic of Nigeria, Bola Tinubu and the National Chairman of the APC, Abdulahi Ganduje to do the right thing and endorse the legally returned candidate as provided by the APC Constitution.
“We do not want the Banani Scenario as it was in Adamawa State, where the election was voided because the Returning Officer’s duties was hijacked by the Resident Electoral Officer, who is currently being prosecuted.”
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