APC Primaries: Call Oshiomhole to Order, Activist Lori-Ogbebor Tasks Buhari, Tinubu

Sunday Okobi

Lagos-based businesswoman and rights activist, Chief Rita Lori-Ogbebor, Thursday called on President Muhammadu Buhari and other leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to prevail on Adams Oshiomhole-led National Executive Council (NEC) of the party to cancel the process that picked Dr. Emmanuel Eweta Uduaghan as the party senatorial standard bearer for Delta South in the 2019 general election.

She warned seriously that if the party’s hierarchy fails to heed to her call for fresh and proper primary election in the senatorial districts, APC stands the chance of testing defeat in Delta State, alleging that Oshiomhole is out to destroy the party completely.

While maintaining that “there was no primary election whatsoever” in Delta South senatorial district, the Itsekiri woman leader stated that the former governor of state was allegedly imposed by Oshiomhole, whose action she described as destructive and shameful.

Lori-Ogbebor at a press conference yesterday in Lagos called on Buhari and APC National Leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, to prevail on the erstwhile labour to cancel the exercise and conduct a fresh one that “meets the basic minimum test of credibility and transparency involving other contenders such as AVM Terry Okorodudu and Mr. Temisan Omatseye.”

The socialite noted that the primary was billed for Oleh, adding that what she witnessed in Warri was “a shock, disgrace and insult on the people’s sensibilities, as our leaders are prepared to turn this country into a hot bed of confusion so long it feathers their nest.

“There was no election in the zone. I was shocked to read in the newspapers the following morning that Uduaghan was declared the winner. It was a pathetic situation and a wasteful exercise because all our efforts were wasted.

“There is no hope with the way Oshiomhole is going. He is offending the stakeholders and faithful of the party; he is against everybody and with the way he is going, he might scuttle APC chance in the state and country.”

Asked of her interest in the matter, the activist said she is disturbed as a mother who would want all her children to be treated fairly, adding that the stance was consistent with her age-long conviction for equality, equity and justice.

Lori-Ogbebor, who alleged that Uduaghan has no ideology to represent the people of the district in the Senate, submitted that a fresh primary, conducted transparently would engender hope in the people.

On Uduaghan, the Warri chief noted that: “He came to APC to pick up the ticket he was denied by the PDP under Governor Ifeanyi Okowa. As a mother who wants justice all times, it was unfair for Oshiomhole to have handed him the slot without a contest. If APC fields Uduaghan, the party would lose the seat because he is not a crowd puller.”

She noted further that from what she observed in the recently held primaries, Nigeria badly needs a change that would affect the core fabrics of the society.