•NWC forwards Sylva, Uzodinma, Ododo namesto INEC as Bayelsa, Imo, Kogi candidates
From Romanus Ugwu, Abuja
Countless number of policemen yesterday stormed the headquarters of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Abuja to forestall any attempt by aggrieved persons protesting the outcome of the party primary elections held in Kogi and Bayelsa states.
Patrol vehicles, numbering over six, loaded with police officers, armed to the teeth, were seen strategically positioned along the Blantyre Street, housing the party’s national secretariat, to scare anybody planing to ground activities at the secretariat. However, despite the security fortification around the secretariat complex, protesters from Kogi State, angry over the treatment meted to a governorship aspirant, Muritala Ajaka, by the state governor, Yahaya Bello had stormed the party headquarters.
The protesters had threatened to make the party ungovernable and even go extra mile to the extent of sabotaging the victory of the party during this year’s November 11, Kogi governorhsip election.
Speaking while protesting, they claimed that Ajaka was robbed of victory in the primary, shouting; “No Ajaka, no APC in Kogi. We won’t accept anybody other candidate other than Muri.
“We came here to warn the national leadership of our party to revert the announcement made in Kogi after the primary and declare Muri the winner and candidate of our party or we will work against the part during November 11 governorship poll,” the peaceful protesters threatened.
Meanwhile, the APC secretariat was a beehive of activities on Monday, including an emergency meeting of the National Working Committee (NWC) chaired by the Deputy National Chairman (North), Abubakar Kyari, which had many NWC members in attendance.
Speaking to Daily Sun on the outcome of the meeting that last one and half hour, a NWC member said that they only deliberated on the outcome of the party primary elections in Imo and Bayelsa states.
Asked if they also discussed the controversial issue of zoning, our source said; “We did not discuss zoning of the National Assembly leaders because our National Chairman, Abdullahi Adamu, was not even in attendance. We only deliberated on our primary elections in Imo and Bayelsa. You can see what happened in Kogi and how the primary went.”
Interestingly, the party’s leadership rose from the meeting and forwarded the names of Timiprey Sylva, Hope Uzodinma and Usman Ododo as the party’s governorship candidates for Bayelsa, Imo and Kogi States election respectively.
The letter signed by the duo of Deputy National Chairman (North), Abubakar Kyari and National Secretary, Iyiola Omisore, read: “We write to forward the under-listed list of our party’s candidates of your commission for the 2023 off-season Gubernatorial elections. Above is for your information and necessary action, please.”