The Hurdles Before APC in Anambra Guber Poll

Iyobosa Uwugiaren writes that the All Progressives Congress is not insulated from the intra-party crises enveloping many political parties preparing for the Anambra State governorship election scheduled for November 6 this year

Like the two dominant political parties in Anambra State- the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), the All Progressives Congress (APC) is enmeshed in political crisis, ahead of the November governorship election.

An insider at the national secretariat of the party in Abuja, told THISDAY that the party has “both legal and political hurdles’’ to overcome in order to participate in the gubernatorial election. The bone of contention is the outcome of the recent governorship primary election in the state, supervised by Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun-led committee. Apart from Senator Andy Uba, who was declared winner of the primary by Abiodun, who was the chairman of the APC primary election committee, most other stakeholders, especially majority of the aspirants in the exercise, have described the result of the primary as total fabrication.

Indeed, the Minister of Labour and Productivity, Dr. Chris Ngige, and 11 out of the 14 governorship aspirants, have faulted the outcome of the primary.
On his part, Ngige had alleged that the outcome of the primary as announced by the Ogun State governor was a “total fabrication”. The former governor of Anambra State said that election materials got to local government areas of the state on the day of the primary around 6:30pm, adding that there was no form of monitoring by officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
“The outcome of the primary is a total fabrication. Total fabrication,’’ the minister had reportedly told journalists.

Ngige, who had earlier called for the postponement of the primary, noted that those who “executed” the exercise had put the party in “harm’s way”.
“Why did you say I was not happy? Can you be happy if you are disenfranchised in a national election? I did not vote for anybody. I did not come out because there was no material.

“The materials got to local government areas around 6:30pm; in some places by 7pm. What will amaze you, the result sheets that came there were photocopied, not genuine result sheets. Photocopies! I have some samples.
“I don’t know what was playing out over there but those who contrived and executed it, they failed it. They are putting the party in harm’s way. They are putting our party in harm’s way because they were no monitoring by INEC”, Ngige added.

While the aggrieved aspirants are currently under suffocating pressure to accept the outcome of the disputed primary election, one of them, Chief George Moghalu, has initiated legal action to challenge the result.
A founding member of the APC, Moghalu has dragged his party before the Abuja Division of the Federal High Court, over the alleged failure of the APC to conduct a valid primary election for the selection\nomination of its candidate in the November governorship election in Anambra State.

The aspirant in the suit filed on July 8, 2021 by his lawyer, Chief Chris Uche (SAN), is also asking the court to compel the INEC to delist the name of Mr. Andy Uba and APC from among the list of political parties and gubernatorial candidates for the November 6 election or any subsequent postponement.

Moghalu, who was among 14 aspirants who purchased forms to contest for the governorship election, has specifically asked the court to declare that the party failed to conduct a “valid primary election’’ in line with the provisions of the constitution, the Electoral Act as well as the APC’s constitution and guidelines for election, demanding the sum of N122.5 million damages from the APC.

While he is claiming the sum of N22.5 million as being refund of payment for the Expression of Interest Form and Nomination Form, he asked the court to order his party to pay him another sum of N100 million as exemplary and general damages for the breach of contract to commence and conclude primary election and or breach of Section 87 of the Electoral Act, 2010 (as amended) and the regulations and guidelines of the political party.
Defendants in the suit marked FHC\ABJ\CS\648\2021 are the APC, Independent National Electoral Commission and Mr. Andy Uba.

In a 40-page paragraph affidavit, Moghalu deposed to, in support of the suit, the plaintiff amongst others, claimed that the APC failed to conclude the selection and nomination process for its candidate in the November governorship poll which it started with the sale of Expression of Interest and Nomination forms.
According to the deponent, the APC had chosen to adopt the Direct Mode of electing its candidate for the governorship poll – hence the publication of a list of designated venues in each of the 326 wards in the state for holding of the primary election slated for June 26, 2021.

He further disclosed that APC in preparation for the governorship poll, “demanded and received from each of the aspirants – seeking to fly its flag as candidate, the whopping sum of N22.5 million for Expression of Interest Form and Nomination Form.

“That the plaintiff did pay the sum of N22,500,000 to the first defendant in order for the first defendant to allow him participate in the primary election exercise”, the affidavit stated, adding that APC’s acknowledgement of receipt of the said sum was attached as exhibit to the suit.

Plaintiff stated that after his submissions of the forms and subsequent clearance by the Screening Committee led by Chief Ikechi Emenike, he went on to vigorously campaign in all the 326 wards in the state where party members were expected to vote candidate of their choice.

He added that on June 25, 2021, a day to the conclusion of the primary election, he heard that an Electoral Committee led by Ogun State Governor, Abiodun would address all aspirants and stakeholders in Anambra at Hilton Leisure Hotel, Awka.

According to him when the committee arrived that night they promised to conduct a free and fair election, assuring that the process will commence with accreditation of voters, actual voting and collation of votes, then announcement of results.

Plaintiff, however, said that “shockingly, on June 26, 2021, the said Election Committee was not seen anywhere in Anambra; no accreditation of voters took place; no voting and collation of votes occurred in all the 326 wards of Anambra State”. He added that the committee only re-appeared the next day in a hotel at Agulu, Anambra State and “announced election results it did not conduct, and which fakery was credited to the third defendant as the winner of the primary election scheduled for emergence as APC’s candidate in the November 6 governorship election in Anambra State”.

He also submitted that the APC apart from failing to conduct the said election did not invite INEC in line with the law to attend and monitor the election.

He also stated that in line with party regulations he filed an appeal against the conduct of the primary, and the Appeal Panel led by Gombe State Governor, Alhaji Inuwa Yahaya, came to the conclusion that there was no valid election and that the panel will void the result announced by the Electoral Committee.

Plaintiff however said the report of the panel was yet to be made available to him hence the legal action
“That from the foregoing facts, I have suffered loss and damage and I pray this court to grant the reliefs sought by me as per the Originating Summons”, he said.

Parts of the reliefs sought include a declaration by the court that the APC has no candidate to field in the November 6 governorship poll in Anambra State, having failed to conduct a valid primary in line with the law.

He also requested the court to declare that Mr. Andy Uba is not a candidate in the forthcoming election because the said primary that produced him as candidate of the APC did not comply with the provisions of the law. The plaintiff in the Motion Exparte dated and filed July 13, 2021, also prayed the court to make an order for the expeditious hearing of the suit so as not to deny him justice.
However, a political group within the party, ‘’APC Patriots’’, has called on the aggrieved stakeholders, including the Minister of Labour and Employment, to accept the outcome of the party’s governorship primary election.

The group, which claimed to be made up of eminent members of the party, mostly former state and federal lawmakers, said it would embark on a journey to reunite all the aggrieved aspirants of the party who felt bitter over the outcome of the exercise.

The group said no election is free of hitches, including those conducted by INEC. A former member of the House of Representatives and spokesman for the group, Hon. Victor Ogene, said, “some hitches, including late distribution and commencement of voting, attended last Saturday’s primaries. Suffice it to say that it affected all the aspirants in equal measure, as electoral materials got to each LGAs at the same time.’’
According to him, in almost all elections, including those conducted by the INEC, such glitches are easily noticeable, but does not vitiate the outcome of the contest.

The group said it is saddened by the undue haste by some of the aspirants and leaders of the party who discredited the exercise, even when voting was yet to be concluded.
“It is for this reason that we have commenced a series of strategic engagements, aimed at rallying all our aspirants for the arduous, yet achievable task before us, which is winning the November 6, governorship election,’’ he added.

The group pleaded with aggrieved aspirants, including Ngige, to join hands with Uba in the election ahead.
From the foregoing, it is evident that APC has many hurdles to cross in its quest to occupy Anambra State Government House.