APC Postpones Anambra Guber Primary

Ngige c’ttee submits report on Bauchi crisis APGA elects Obiano flag bearer

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has shifted the primary election for its Anambra State governorship ticket to August 26.

The primary election was earlier fixed for August 19, but the party said yesterday that it would no longer hold on that date.

According to the National Publicity Secretary of APC, Malam Bolaji Abdulahi, the postponement was necessitated by logistic issues.

The party had cleared 12 governorship aspirants to participate in the primary election.

However, THISDAY gathered that the decision to shift the primary might not be unconnected with the disagreement of the party’s delegates’ list which ought to have been given to each of the aspirants on their return of nomination forms but was not ready.

A top party source told THISDAY yesterday that the shift is also due to the desire of the party to prone the number of aspirants through consensus building process.

Meanwhile, the Senator Chris Ngige-led fact-finding committee of the APC on crisis in the Bauchi State has submitted its report to the party’s leadership.

Speaking with journalists shortly after submitting the report yesterday, Ngige said the dispute has since polarised the party.

He also said the matter affected the unity of the party members thereby putting the ability of the party to win elections in serious jeopardy.

“Mainly, we found out that Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Yakubu Dogara, and members of National Assembly were on one side of the divide and on the other side, we have the state Governor, Mohammed Abubakar, and members of the state assembly, his commissioners and a large chunk of the party structure,,” Ngige said.

He listed some of the findings of the committee to include disagreement over the APC primary conducted in the state in 2014.

Other issues were the unpaid workers salaries, alleged lack of transparent use of Paris Club and power sharing arrangement.

Meanwhile, the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) has elected Anambra State Governor, Chief Willie Obiano, at its candidate for the November 18, 2017 governorship election.

Obiano was elected at a special congress/primary election in Awka yesterday by delegates of the party who voted through a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ vote.

The Returning Officer of the primary election, Alhaji Sani Shinkafi, who announced Obiano’s victory, the governor polled a total of 1,070 to win the election.

He said: “The total accredited delegates for the election was 1092, consisting of statutory and ad hoc delegates, while a total of 1,092 votes was cast.

“Yes’ votes were 1,070, while ‘No’ votes cast were 11. Invalid votes cast were 11 too, while five persons did not cast their votes. With this, Obiano stands elected as the candidate of our party.”

The governor expressed thanks to the delegates for electing him, promising to continue to work hard for the party.

Obiano is the second major candidate for the election to be elected, with Chief Godwin Ezeemo having been elected two weeks ago as the candidate of the Progressive Peoples Alliance (PPA)

Director General of Obiano Campaign Organisation, Chief Victor Umeh, while speaking with journalists, charged other political parties to elect candidates that would adhere to the rules of the game.

He said Obiano has met all the conditions and stood elected as the candidate of APGA.