The crisis rocking the All Progressives Congress (APC) over the candidature for the Imo North District Senatorial election on Monday took another dimension as Chairman of the Screening Committee for the party’s primary election in the District, Lawrence Chuku said one of the aspirants, Francis Ibezim who was declared the winner of the parallel exercise was disqualified from participating in the process.
The Governor Mai-Mala Buni led APC National Caretaker Committee had appointed a seven-man Committee with Ajibola Bashiru (Chairman, Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs) as Chairman, Samuel Ogbuku as Secretary, Jibrin Gada, Bello Kumo, Umar Gana, Mohammed Saba, and Godfrey Ejim as members to conduct the primary election for a candidate that would fly the party’s flag for Imo North Senatorial by-election, coming up in October.
However, on reaching Imo, the committee split into two factions led by Bashiru which produced Ibezim as a candidate, and Gana which declared Ifeanyi Ararume as the winner.
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APC leadership had issued a statement that it only recognised the Bashiru-led Committee, which it said has been vested with the power to announce the winner of the primary election.
However, the Screening Committee in a petition submitted at the APC National Secretariat Abuja said 11 aspirants were screened, out of which 5 were cleared and 6, including Ibezim were disqualified for not meeting basic requirements.
“Section 3(f) of the guidelines for the nomination of candidates stipulates that ONLY aspirants fully cleared by the party shall be eligible to stand election at the party’s primaries.
“Section 3(k) also clearly stated that all aspirants must show knowledge of the party’s manifestos and programs and must commit themselves to the full implementation of the party’s goals and objectives.
“Not losing sight of section 3(L) which states that all aspirants are to submit evidence of membership of the party for at least one year except a waiver is given.
“Therefore in compliance with section 11 of same guideline stipulating the roles and responsibilities of the screening committee, we have done our job sincerely, honestly and diligently without fear or favour but we have observed that Mr. Frank Ibezim who is purported to be one of the possible flag bearers of our party, was not cleared to contest the Imo North Senatorial primary elections”, the petition read.
