rAPC Writes INEC, Demands Annulment of Oshiomhole, others’ Election

• APC: It’s not possible

Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja

The National Chairman of the reformed All Progressives Congress (rAPC), Alhaji Buba Galadima, has asked the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to invalidate the election of the new National Working Committee (NWC) of the All Progressives Congress (APC) led by the former governor of Edo State, Mr. Adams Oshiomhole.

Galadima, in a letter to INEC, said the June 23 national convention that produced Oshiomhole as national chairman, among other officers, was “very flawed and undemocratic”.

In the letter, a copy of which was obtained by THISDAY, the rAPC leader also claimed that there were irregularities in the election conducted at the convention.

“Yes I was the one who wrote the letter,” Galadima told THISDAY on phonWednesday.

However, Rotimi Oyekanmi, the spokesman of INEC Chairman, Prof Mahmood Yakubu, said he could not confirm the receipt of the rAPC’s letter as at Wednesday night.

But the APC National Publicity Secretary, Malam Bolaji Abdullahi, dismissed Galadima’s request to INEC as invalid, saying the outcome of the national convention could not be voided.

Abdullahi told THISDAY in a telephone conversation: “I will like to point out that the action is ill-conceived and therefore futile.

“INEC has no powers to cancel an election it did not organise. Secondly, the man calling for the cancellation of the convention did not contest for any position at the convention, therefore, has no locus to complain about its outcome.

“Besides, if candidate was not happy with the election process at the convention, they should petition the appeals committee. INEC cannot help them.”

Galadima’s letter read: “I write as a foundation member of the APC, a member of its Board of Trustees, National Caucus and an automatic delegate at its National Convention, to bring to your notice that on June 23, 2018, the APC purportedly held a very flawed and undemocratic convention for the purpose of electing its national officers following the disputed congresses held in various Wards (May 2, 2018), local governments (May 5, 2018), state congress (May 8, 2018).

“These congresses leading up to the national convention of the party were marred with serious irregularities and manipulations to the extent that in at least 22 states, parallel congresses were held and different set of delegates and officers emerged. Some of the states includes: Abia, Adamawa, Bauchi, Benue, Cross River, Delta, Enugu, Imo, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Kogi, Kwara, Lagos, Niger, Ondo, Oyo, Rivers, Sokoto and Zamfara.”

The letter quoted the relevant section of APC’s constitution as stating that: “Unless otherwise provided for: All party posts prescribed or implied by this constitution shall be filled by democratically conducted elections at the respective national convention or congress subject, where possible, to consensus, provided that where a candidate has emerged by consensus for an elective position, a vote of ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ by ballot or voice shall be called, to ensure that it was not an imposition which could breed discontent and crisis.”

It stated in the rAPC demand, “We respectfully, therefore, request INEC to intervene, following precedents established over the years, to declare invalid and unlawful and not to accord any form of recognition to officers purportedly elected at the APC convention of June 23, 2018.”