By PAMELA Eboh, Awka

The Progressive Media Team of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has called on the national leadership of the party, to tow the line of the Minister for Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige, on the issue of the party’s Anambra governorship primary election held June 26, 2021.

Senator Andy Uba was announced winner of the primary election by the Governor Dapo Abiodun-led APC Primary Election Committee.

But Ngige and eleven aspirants rejected the outcome of the exercise, saying that no primary election was held on the said date in Anambra State.

Similarly, the Progressive Media Team insisted that as the leader of the party in Anambra State, Ngige’s view should supersede every other decision concerning the party’s activities in the state.

A statement by the group which was obtained by News Express on Thursday urged President Muhammadu Buhari and the South East leaders to intervene and salvage the party ahead of the November 6 poll.

The statement signed by the group’s spokesman partly reads: “We want to state it categorically clear that no Primary election was held anywhere in the state and the purported declaration of anybody by Governor Dapo Abiodun-led APC Primary Election Committee in the state only exists in the imagination of the committee and their collaborators in the state.

“The members of our great party across the 326 political wards in the state are still waiting for the electoral committee since 26th June 2021 to carry out their assignment for the party in the state.

“The essence of this press statement is to debunk all sorts of press conferences being championed by some unscrupulous elements in the party parading themselves as patriots, media frontiers etc. These groups of persons have no moral standing, integrity and character in our great party. They are known to be money influenced and induced politicians.

“We challenge all these elements that are out there not to ridicule our party and their members to show the world the evidence of where they were on the line at their various wards voting for the preferred choice of Aspirant on that day.”

The group maintained that what Governor Dapo Abiodun did in Anambra State and the progressive family of APC was the most unbelievable show of disregard to the party's Leader in the state, Senator Chris Ngige as well as long committed members of the party.

“We want to know where Governor Dapo Abiodun got all the figures he announced to the world. This is pure madness and we wonder how such a man can involve himself in this kind of electoral fraud and heist in the history of Nigeria. We are really disappointed with this Governor and such character has no place in the progressive party like All Progressives Congress.

“The governor has proven his untrustworthiness and lacking the character and integrity to be called a progressive and the nitty-gritty for future national assignment and has dented his personality with this charade.

“We want the general public, Mr President and the National Working Committee of our great party to know that the figures allocated to various Aspirants by Governor Dapo Abiodun do not owe to the participation of Anambra APC members in any primary because no primary election was held anywhere in the 326 wards. This is our position, which has been re-affirmed by the generality of the party leaders, Elders of our Party, Local Government Chairmen of our Party who are the custodian of the party at various Local Governments,” the statement added.

It cited Aguata Local Government Chairman of APC, Honourable Paulchuks Umenduka who is from the same local Government with Senator Andy Uba, Chief Johnbosco Onukwo and Rev. Godwin Okonkwo, as a proof that no election was conducted in the area.

According to them Umenduka publicly declared that there was no accreditation, voting and collation of result in his Local Government on that day.

It added: “What this means is that there is no election in his Local Government Area where the so-called winner emerged from.

“We want to ask Governor Dapo, how can an election take place in the Local Government, yet the Local Government Chairman and ward executives are not aware of the exercise?

“It is important to note that as of 5:00 pm on Saturday 26th June 2021, there was no sign of any APC Primary election taking place anywhere despite the large turnout of APC members to exercise their rights. Also, Independent Electoral Commission (INEC), some media houses and accredited observers for the Primary election have spoken with one voice that there was no primary election.”

The group called for a fresh primary election in the state in the interest of peace and unity.

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