APC group protests, warns against consequences of Ganduje conducting Ondo primary

• Cautions party against repeat of Zamfara 2019 incident

From Romanus Ugwu, Abuja

Concerned All Progressives Congress (APC) group, under the auspices of the Guardian of Democracy and Development Initiative (GoDDI), has experienced concerns over the consequences of the National Chairman of the party, Abdullahi Umah Ganduje, conducting this weekend’s Ondo State primary election following the controversies trailing his alleged suspension by his ward.

Although conflicting orders from the same courts of coordinate jurisdiction, from the Federal High Court in Kano, upholding and halting the suspension, heightened the controversies surrounding the suspension of the party’s headship, the group, however, expressed concerns over the consequences of the suspension will have on the Ondo election.

The group, which protested at the National Secretariat of the ruling party, urged the party to allow another party official to conduct the Ondo primary election instead of the suspended national chairman.

Brandishing posters with various inscriptions, like ‘Ondo is too important for political experimentation’, ‘Don’t repeat Zamfara mistake in Ondo governorship election’, ‘Court order must be obeyed’, ‘Ganduje must step aside’, ‘Ondo state must be saved from political tension…’, the group warned the party’s leadership against a repeat of Zamfara incident in 2019.

In a short speech titled: ‘Threat to APC primary election in Ondo State due to continuous interference on Umar Ganduje despite Court Order restraining him’, the group warned that his involvement would invalidate the election and scuttle the chances of the party.

“We are constrained to write to inform you about the recent events that are posing threats to our great party participating in the forthcoming governorship election in Ondo State.

“You will recall that Umar Ganduje, having been suspended by his ward in Kano State and subsequently restrained by Kano State High Court, ought to refrain from interfering with anything that has to do with the Ondo APC primary election as he lacks locus standi to do so and attempting to act will amount to building something on nothing.

‘It is important to therefore save our great party from impending doom by ensuring that all action taken so far since the suspension of the National Chairman be invalidated and the person empowered to act as the National Chairman in the face of the suspension of the National Chairman is allowed to act so that whatever is done in furtherance of Ondo primary election will not be invalidated,” the group warned.