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From Romanus Ugwu, Abuja
Former Chief Elder statesman and former Minister of Petroleum, Chief Don Etiebet, has warned the All Progressives Congress (APC) that its presidential candidate risks disqualification should the party’s leadership endorse the Akwa Ibom State governorship candidate.
He spoke in Abuja, yesterday, at a press conference where he described the conduct of the state’s governorship primary as a charade. He claimed the candidate that emerged, Mr. Akan Udofia, was produced through the use of wrong delegates.
“We hasten to warn, that the Akwa Ibom State challenge of using delegates that were not voted for, in line with the extant Electoral Laws if not addressed, the same delegates may be used for the presidential primary. Surely if that happens then the presidential primary run a risk of not producing a validly nominated candidate in line with the Electoral Laws. This should not happen.”
Etiebet appealed to the leadership of the party to intervene in the matter. “The whole of this episode and the telephone conversation between Mike Igini, the INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner, Director of DSS and Panel Chairman is on tape. Unfortunately, the panel members were surreptitiously drafted to another venue by certain people to proceed to purportedly conduct gubernatorial primaries without the presence of the commission at about midnight when all the party faithful and delegates had since dispatched following the announcement of the postponement of the governorship primaries by the INEC Resident Commissioner of Akwa Ibom State. This is quite contrary to the provisions of Section 84(1) of the election Act and cannot be allowed to stand.”
