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From Joe Obukata Ogbodu, Warri
The outcome of the screening of aspirants for the various elective positions by the All Progressives Congress (APC) has triggered protest in Warri, Delta State.
This is coming as members of the party from six Itsekiri political wards in Warri South-West Local Government Area, yesterday staged a protest over the disqualification of one of the party frontline aspirant, Andrew Omagbemi Igban, from the party’s primary election for the Warri South-West Constituency seat in the House of Assembly.
In a protest letter addressed to President Bola Tinubu and signed by Prince E. Etuwewe, Anibi Eyedisan and Joseph Egiri, the protesters appealed to the President to intervene in what they described as an unjust exclusion of Igban from the race.
In the letter titled: “Letter of protest to Mr. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu regarding unjust disqualification of our chosen aspirant for the Delta State House of Assembly, Warri South-West,” the aggrieved party members said the disqualification of Igban by the APC screening committee has denied them the right to freely choose a candidate they believe could best represent their interests.
The petitioners stated that the protest was being made on behalf of loyal APC members across the six Itsekiri political wards of Ugborodo, Ajudiabo, Akpakpa, Ogidigben, Madangho and Orere in Warri South-West.
According to them, the disqualification of the aspirant was carried out without any valid reason and amounted to a violation of their democratic rights within the party structure.
“We are strongly protesting his disqualification from the primaries without any valid reason, thereby denying us our fundamental democratic rights to choose and vote for the candidate we believe can best represent us at this time,” the letter stated.
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The protesters further alleged that established screening guidelines were not followed during the process, insisting that the electoral procedure was disregarded.
They described the development as an act of oppression by party leaders and warned that ignoring the concerns raised could disenfranchise party members and undermine internal democracy.
“We see this injustice as oppression by our party leaders, as the screening process guidelines were not followed, and the electoral process was disregarded. This is unfair to us as a people with a voice in selecting our representatives because democracy is a freedom for everyone,” the petition added.
The group also warned that failure to address the issue could create disaffection among members ahead of future elections, particularly the 2027 general elections which they noted would be crucial for the party.
They urged President Tinubu to thoroughly investigate the matter to prevent what they described as the erosion of the rights of party faithful.
The petitioners maintained that despite their grievances, they remained loyal to the APC and reaffirmed their commitment to the party as their preferred political platform.
“We remain loyal to the party as our choice vehicle to serve our constituent,” the signatories stated while appealing for urgent presidential intervention.
