…Giadom declares primary illegal, writes INEC
…we won’t lose sleep over Giadom’s letter
…APC inaugurates Boms as new deputy national secretary, Giadom says action laughable
…party members protest in Abuja, demand NWC sacking
…party receives 170 petitions from aggrieved members
One of the governorship aspirants of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Edo State, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, has emerged winner of the party’s direct primary conducted on Monday.
Chairman of the Edo State APC Primary Election Committee, Governor Hope Uzodinma, declared Ize-Iyamu winner of the election after collating the results turned in by the returning officers in the 18 local government areas of the state.
He pulled 27,838 votes, while his closest rival, Dr Pius Odubu scored 3,776, while Mr Osaro Obaze pulled 2,751 votes.
With the result, Ize-Iyamu will face other contenders in the September 19 governorship election in the state.
Factional Acting National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Chief Victor Giadom has written the Independent National Electoral Commission asking it not to recognise the ongoing APC Governorship primary in Edo State.
He explained that his leadership did not authorise the conduct of the exercise.
However, the National Publicity Secretary of the APC), Mallam Lanre Issa-Onilu, has said that the ruling party would not lose sleep over a purported letter written to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) by the Deputy National Secretary, Chief Victor Giadom, asking the commission not to recognise the primary election conducted in Edo State.
Issa-Onilu, while reacting to the letter in a telephone interview with THISDAY on Monday, wondered why the party would be bothered by a letter written by “a former member of the National Working Committee (NWC)” of the party.
He stated: “INEC knows what to do, INEC is not lawless, INEC was there to monitor the primaries today (Monday).”
Asked if the party was not bothered about the letter, he added: “Why should we be bothered by an ex-member of NWC?”
Meanwhile, the National Working Committee (NWC) of the APC on Monday inaugurated Barrister Worgu Boms as the party’s Acting Deputy National Secretary.
He replaced the expelled former deputy National Secretary, Victor Giadom who resigned to contest as the deputy governorship candidate during the 2019 general election.
The National Vice Chairman South-South, Hon. Hillard Etagbo Eta who stood in for the acting National Chairman, Senator Abiola Ajimobi conducted inauguration at the party’s National Secretariat in Abuja.
Administering the oath of office on Boms, the acting National Chairman said Boms would henceforth carry out all the functions of the Deputy National Secretary as provided by the constitution of the party.
Boms was nominated from Rivers State chapter of the party and his nomination ratified at the South South zonal level before the NWC approval.
Reacting at the National Secretariat of the party, the expelled former deputy National Secretary, Victor Giadom said the inauguration of Boms was laughable.
“That is laughable, am sure you know I was elected at the convention. We have told Nigerians that, that level impunity and rascality must be corrected.
“You cannot smuggle somebody into the national working committee without an election. Anybody who wants to be a member of the National working committee should present himself for a democratically conducted election.
“You cannot just bring somebody from anywhere to come and fill an office in the national working committee that is laughable and cannot work.”
Meanwhile, a group of concerned members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) on Monday stormed the National Secretariat of the party with a demand that the National Working Committee (NWC) be sacked.
Leader of the protesters, Opokwu Ojienyi, told reporters that the current NWC was responsible for “the reversal of the fortunes of the party”.
He cited the recent defection of the Ondo State Deputy Governor from the party as an example of the “poor leadership being exhibited by those currently at the helm of affairs”.
The group gave party leaders 48 hours ultimatum to either accede to their demands or be prepared for a nationwide protest.
Also, the APC National Reconciliation Committee has received no fewer than 170 petitions from aggrieved party members across the country.
The committee’s Secretary, Senator John Enoh, who disclosed this in an interview with on Monday, said the COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent ban on interstate movements made the panel to suspend its sittings across the country.
