Nigerians have called out Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State, asking him to explain how the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Anambra, Andy Uba, polled over 230,000 votes in the party’s primary election.
The reaction was coming on the heels of Uba’s poor outing in the just concluded Anambra governorship election.
During the APC primary election in Anambra in June, Gov Abiodun had announced that “Uba polled 230,201 of the 348,490 total votes cast, to defeat 13 other aspirants.”
Though the result was rejected by other aspirants and leaders of the APC in the state, the national leadership of the party fielded Uba as its candidate, relying on the result declared by the Ogun State helmsman.
It would be recalled that the Minister of Labour and Employment, Sen Chris Ngige, at the time, said there was no primary election held in the entire Anambra.
But Gov Abiodun, who was the Chairman of the APC primary election committee in the state, insisted that the election was transparent.
However, as the governorship election came to an end on Tuesday, Uba’s 230,201 votes became a mirage as he ended up polling just 43,285 votes.
Uba came a distant third in the election behind Charles Soludo of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), who was declared winner by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) with 112,229 votes.
Reacting, Nigerians on social media wondered how Abiodun got the 230,201 votes he ‘awarded’ to Uba, who could only poll 43,285 votes during the election proper.
A former aide of former Governor Ayo Fayose of Ekiti State, Lere Olayinka, said: “Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State, good morning this morning Sir.
“I am still asking Sir, where are those 348,490 APC members that you claimed voted at the party’s primary election that produced Andy Uba as Anambra State Governorship candidate?”
One Adesina Olufemi said, “About five months ago, during the party primary election, APC claimed its candidate, Andy Uba won by about 230,000 votes. In the gubernatorial election, the same APC had polled just a little more than 40,000 votes.
“In all the elections in Anambra state in the past 10 years, average voters turnout has been 230,000. Where did Give Abiodun got that score from?”
Another commentator, John, stated that “While several members of APC in Anambra are willing to swear before anything including amadioha, that there were no gubernatorial primaries in any ward in that state, those saddled with conducting direct primaries in that strategic Igbo State insisted Andy Uba won the primary with over 230k votes; not even the protest by the Minister of Labour, Dr Chris Ngige, that there was no primary in his own ward or LG nor the collective petition by other gubernatorial aspirants could dissuade them.
“They insisted over 348k APC members participated in the exercise and Uba won it. Well, they had their way. And during the gubernatorial elections held and results indicated that APC has performed very woefully.
“But the question agitating the minds of several patriotic APC members across Nigeria is where are those 348,000 members who purportedly voted in that direct primaries? At least, those 230,000 members who voted Andy Uba during the primaries should vote for their man on the election day. Where are they?
“These are the questions APC leaders in Abuja who brushed aside the protest by Dr Ngige and other aggrieved guber aspirants should urgently provide answers for.
“My bible tells me, Righteousness exacts a nation, but sin is a reproach (a drawback or stain).”
“As the APC races towards 2023 when some doomsday prophets have predicted APC will collapse, those running the party need to conduct a soul-searching and never wave aside complaint of its members.
“Going by the mass defection that hit APGA and the reported poor performance of the departing governor, Willy Obiano, Anambra was there for APC to win. But once again, APC blew it.”
Femi Oke, an APC member in Ogun State, opined that “As an APC man, I can say categorically that Andy Uba was the worst candidate on the debate, there is no contradiction.
“APC should stop fielding PDP Political Prostitutes as their candidates and should ensure free, fair, & transparent direct primaries are conducted to ensure our best possible candidates emerge.
“We can also have televised APC candidate debates before the primaries so the best candidates will showcase their abilities. Why has APC and PDP refused to adopt online membership, with a party membership app and membership subscriptions?
“It’s because the stinkingly corrupt, inept, moneybag politicians at the head of these parties want to continue to manipulate and deceive Nigerians ahead of 2023.”
