The Imo State chapter of the All Progressive Grand Alliance, APGA, is boiling with divergent reactions over who is entitled to the governorship ticket.
It would be recalled that the dates scheduled for the primaries could not produce any candidate until late Sunday night when an exercise other aspirants alleged to be a one-man show produced Senator Ifeanyi Araraume as winner.
One the first day of the scheduled primaries date, the team from the national office arrived late and rescheduled for Saturday. Nothing happened on Saturday before it was moved to Sunday.
Before the purported exercise that made Araraume winner, about 11 aspirants running for the governorship position had in a statement rejected any attempt to have primaries based on certain grievances.
The statement signed by the aspirants, led by Chief Ikedi Ohakim reads “that we are all qualified to contest the APGA Governorship primary in 2018.
“That we are prepared for credible and fair primary and have done all required from us by the APGA constitution and the election guideline issued by the party.
“That surprisingly and unexplainably the party tried to conduct the governorship primary in flagrant violation of the clear procedures outlined its guidelines for primary elections. These violations include that the party abandoned conducting congress for election of Ad Hoc Delegates to vote at the governorship primary instead the party adopted the so-called harmonization which is not provided anywhere in the party constitution or the election guidelines.
“That the party disqualified some aspirants in a manner that did not follow its electoral guidelines, especially without a right of appeal.
That contrary to the party constitution and the election guidelines no list of delegates for the primary was displayed or shown to us.
“That any election that is held with delegates that were not elected in a congress as stipulated in the party constitution and the electoral guidelines may be completely illegal and would destroy the party and its electoral fortunes in Imo State.
“Therefore, we have resolved that the primary election cannot hold as proposed stopping the primary is the only way to save our party and the expectations of Imo people for good governance in Imo. The national leadership of our party should fill the nomination for a flag-bearer for APGA for the Imo State governorship election in 2019 in the interim with the name of National officers.
Others who signed the resolution includes Senator Bright Nwanne, Mr Frank Nneji, Dr Sam Amadi, Hon Uche Onyeagucha, Mr Steve Nwoga, Barr Humphrey Anumudu, Mr Ike.C.Ibe, Mr Chike Nsofor, Dr Obi Njoku, Barr Philip Ibekwe, Ziggy Azike and Mr Nick Opara Ndudu.
Of the aspirants, Okey Eze and Prince Daniel Kanu who asked his supporters to vote for Araraume did not append their signatures to the petition sent to the National Chairman of the party and the INEC.
Trumpeta learnt that the resolution came after a meeting of the aspirants under the platform of Imo APGA Governorship Aspirants’Forum.
However, while 11 other aspirants chose to keep away from the exercise at Kanu Nwankwo sports center, Owerri, Trumpeta learnt that Araraume was declared winner.
In a paid advert made available to Trumpeta, details of how the two time Senator of Okigwe zone emerged. The result sheet advert which has Sir Chikodi Anarah as Committee Chairman dated 07/10/18 saw Araraume garnering 583 votes to emerge winner.
