The All Progressives Congress on Monday ordered for a fresh governorship primary to select the party’s candidate for the November governorship election in the state.
National Chairman of the party, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, said this at the end of the party’s National Working Committee meeting in Abuja on Monday.
A former state governor and one of the aspirants, Timipre Sylva, had insisted that he won the primary conducted about a week ago, which was said to have ended in a fiasco, after some hoodlums invaded the Samson Siasia Stadium, Yenagoa, venue of the party election, conducted by the Governor Adams Oshiomhole-led electoral committee.
Odigie-Oyegun explained that the party was compelled to take the decision to protect its established record of free, fair and credible primaries.
The party chairman equally said the Bayelsa debacle was the main issue discussed at the meeting because the party was determined to jealously guard its records.
According to him, the NWC sees it as a duty to provide a level-playing ground for all those aspiring to offices in the party.
Odigie-Oyegun said, “Unfortunately, in Bayelsa State at Yenagoa, we had serious security challenges and so the process could not meet the standards which this party has set for itself.
“And so, we had no alternative but to stop the process by ensuring that the chairman of the panel was effectively moved out of the venue with the help of security agencies and we decided thereafter that there should be a proper, fresh primary.
“So today, the party decided; we have written to INEC appropriately. The party has decided to conduct fresh primary for the Bayelsa governorship election.
“So, for the fresh primary, the process will start tomorrow, we’ve gotten in touch with the police and other security agencies to help us.”
Odigie-Oyegun dismissed reports that the party would take disciplinary action against a member of the panel who was made to announce a result at the Yenagoa controversial election.
According to him, the man simply acted to save his life in the circumstance he found himself.
In response to a question on the role played by the party in the preparation of the ministerial list of President Muhammadu Buhari, Odigie-Oyegun said it was an internal affair.
He noted that the party would not comment on the travails of the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, who is being tried by the Code of Conduct Tribunal, saying, “The matter is already in court.”
Earlier, the chairman of the APC panel on the Bayelsa APC gov primary, who is also the governor of Edo State, Adams Oshiomhole, submitted his report on the botched exercise.
Oshiomhole told reporters, “I really don’t want to go back to those issues; these are not issues that transpired in a bedroom.
“I do hope that someday, we get to a point where even the media must defend the democratic space. Concerning what happened at the stadium; gunshots were being fired, AK 47 were recovered, two of them, pump action and live ammunition.
“I am not the issue and I don’t want to be the issue; there are issues that are important to me. This one I didn’t go there as a governor, I went there as a party member on a national assignment by the party and it is a great honour.”
