A faction of APC in Abia State has said its governorship primary election which produced the former Minister of State for Mines and Steel Development, Dr. Uche Ogah is in compliance with the directive of the national leadership of the party which directed that to direct mode of primary election is adopted.
Secretary of the faction, Barr. Perfect Okorie who spoke with newsmen in Umuahia on Thursday said the 26th of May 2022 direct primary election which took place across the state is the valid and acceptable primary election.
He explained that the leadership crisis in Osun, Benue and Abia chapters of APC had necessitated the adoption of direct primary which in Abia produced Ogah as the winner.
The Kingsley Ononogbu faction of APC in the state which adopted indirect primary mode produced High Chief Ikechi Emenike as the winner.
Barr. Okorie noted that the State Chapter of the party Stands unequivocally on the outcome of the direct primary which it says was duly conducted in accordance with the section of 84 sub 4 of the electoral act 2022.
In his words he said “we are not unaware of the fact that certain persons who are one way or the other feel that they have something to do with the party or who claim they have contact with some persons at Abuja have been trying to use their so called contact to influence the party to shift grounds”
“I have to state it categorically that the state chapter of the party have absolute confidence in the leadership of the party at the National, the party leadership led by his Excellency Sen. Abdullahi Adamu a man of impeccable character, very decent, highly respected, a man of high integrity the party has absolute confidence in his confirmed wise disposition on issues of this nature, we know that nothing this persons will do to make him to shift grounds, we urge him most honorably with all due respect not to allow the party to be ridiculed in the antic of this individuals.”
“party had issued a directive via a letter the latter was dated 25th day of May 2022 and directed to the chairman of INEC Zambezi Crescent Maitama Abuja signed by his Honorable self , His Excellency Sen. Abdullahi Adamu CON National chairman of the party and also signed by Sen. Iyiola Omisore Phd National Secretary of the party. That document remains sacrosanct and it’s on the basis of that document that INEC directed its headquarter in Abia state to see and monitor direct primary in the state in compliance with section 24 of the electoral act and this INEC did and their report is also in the public domain its an official public document INEC had issued that report, the officers who monitored and observed the primaries duly recorded and made their report and issued same and it will be most hilarious for someone to begin to push or to agitate or try to lure the party to either by act of omission of commission to begin to think of recycling the said letter. We know that the party cannot do that, we know the leadership of the party cannot be lured into that.
“We reaffirm once again that we have absolute confidence in the national leadership of the party and we know that whatever decisions they will take will be the decision that will improve the law of the party in the state because it is their decision that will determine whether APC will take over this Government house in Abia state or not , we know they are going to take the right decision that will open up the way for us to match to the Government house because the party in the state has spoken, the majority has spoken, the various wards has spoken.”
He called on the National leadership to do the needful and present Dr Uchechukwu Samson Ogah who is the State’s recognized candidate with certificate of return.
