The All Progressives Congress (APC) on Wednesday inaugurated a 5-member primary election committee headed by Nasarawa State Governor Tanko Al-Makura to elect the party’s flag-bearer for the 2018 governorship election.
Also, the National Organising Secretary of the party, Senator Osita Izuaso, inaugurated a three-member primary appeal committee headed by Ambassador Fati Balla.
Speaking at the party National Secretariat during the inauguration, Senator Izunaso declared that the party has no preferred candidate urging the committee to rely on the party’s guidelines for the nomination of candidates for public office, particularly section 14 (iii) which stipulates the composition of the Electoral College/delegates, secret balloting at a venue in the state capital and declaring as winner, aspirant with the highest vote.
“If we conduct a transparent primary, any aspirant that wins will surely become the next governor of Ekiti State. The party has no preferred candidate, there is no such thing in our lexicon. It does not exist. All aspirants are equal until after the election”, Izunaso stated.
The National Organising Secretary disclosed that the official delegates list has been given to all aspirants and no petition has been received on the list. He said all 33 aspirants have been cleared by the Party’s National Working Committee (NWC) to contest the primaries.
He urged the committee to convene a stakeholders meeting with aspirants and party chieftains in the state to agree on modalities for the primaries saying; “the party is poised to win the Ekiti governorship election hence, you should ensure a transparent exercise”.
Other members of the primary election scheduled for Saturday, May 5, include Hon. Magaji Aliyu (Secretary); Mr. Duke Oshodin, Robert Okwuego and Mr. Tunde Balogun as members. The appeal committee has Capt. Bala Jibrin (rtd.) and Mrs. Lilian Obenwa.
In his remarks, the Chairman of the committee and Governor of Nasarawa State, Umaru Tanko Al-Makura commended the party for seeing the members of the committee worthy to serve the party in this critical assignment.
“We thank the Party for considering us worthy to carry out this very critical and important assignment at this point in time. As far as we are concerned, we consider this assignment as a family affair which has to be done in strict conformity with our Party’s guidelines and the constitution.
I wish to assure the National Working Committee that by the special Grace of God, we as members of the Ekiti governorship primary will do justice to this exercise.
“We will ensure free and fair election, conform and adhere to all the guidelines so that by the time the exercise is over, the Party will become stronger and more cohesive. This will be the beginning of the assurance of our great party to reclaim the mandate in Ekiti state”, he said.
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