Imo stakeholders reject Okorocha’s mock primaries

Some chieftains of the All Progressives Congress (APC) under the banner of Concerned Imo APC Stakeholders have rejected the proposed mock primary election planned by Governor Owelle Rochas Okorocha.

The Coordinator of the group, Agunwa Emeka Nzeribe, yesterday in Abuja, said the proposed mock primaries ahead of the 2019 general elections was an aberration as the APC constitution and manifesto had no section supporting mock primaries.

“In the Nigeria Electoral Act that was passed by the National Assembly for purposes of elections and electioneering campaigns, there is no section of it that supports the purported mock primaries which Governor Okorocha wants to embark upon. Imo State is an integral part of Nigeria, and as such should not be seen as acting against the provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria or the Constitution of the APC as the case may be.

“We call on all APC faithful in Imo State to disregard this plan by the governor or his proxies as such action runs ultra vires to relevant laws of the land. It is disheartening to note that a governor that swore to defend the Constitution of Nigeria, and by extension, the constitution of the political party that sponsored him, is the same person planning for its murder,” he said.

He said the Concerned Imo APC Stakeholders discovered that the purported mock primaries was just another gimmick and a desperate bid to foist an unpopular candidate on the party and people of the state as governor.

He said their group was not in support of those listed for the primaries who were tagged ‘Rescue Mission Aspirants’, including Prince Eze Madumere, Sir Jude Ejiogu, Hon. Uche Nwosu, Hon. Acho Ihim and Hon. Chike Okafor. He also said they were concerned by the alleged humiliation of sidelining the Deputy Governor of the state, Prince Eze Madumere.