APC Withholds Audu’s Certificate of Return over Petition Concerns

Onyebuchi Ezigbo

The All Progressives Congress (APC) yesterday deferred the presentation of party’s ticket for the Kogi governorship election to the former governor of the state, Prince Abubakar Audu, to allow for the expiration of the period allotted for appeal.

Although the former governor had stormed the party secretariat yesterday afternoon along with his supporters to collect his certificate of return, he was politely told by the National Chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, to wait till tomorrow to allow the appeal time lag fixed till Tuesday to elapse.

Sources at the party secretariat told THISDAY that the party leadership (NWC) had gone into a meeting where they were briefed by the National Organising Secretary, Senator Osita Isunazo on the outcome of the Kogi primary election held last weekend.

The former governor, who came to the party house with a large crowd, had left the secretariat with his drumming supporters after a brief meeting with Oyegun.

A reliable member of the National Working Committee of APC however, told THISDAY that Audu had been asked to come back today following information that one of the aspirants was considering submitting a petition before the close of work yesterday.

According to the party’s primary election guideline, yesterday was fixed as the last day of grace given to any aggrieved aspirants who may want to petition APC Appeal committee as on the outcome of the primaries conducted by a panel chaired by the governor of Kaduna, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai.