Akwa Ibom Crisis Could Nullify APC Presidential Candidate – Etiebet

The forthcoming presidential nomination convention of the All Progressives Congress, APC runs the risk of producing a legally defective candidate if supposedly wrong delegates from Akwa Ibom State are allowed to partake in the exercise, stakeholders of the party from the state have warned.

Speaking against the background of controversies surrounding the conduct of the party’s congresses and the adoption of a faction of the party as the state executive, he also said that the party runs the risk of not fielding candidates in all elections in Akwa Ibom State.

The assertion was against the background of parallel congresses conducted by the two major factions of the party in the state.

Party chieftain and former minister of petroleum, Chief Donald Etiebet in a statement made available to GreenWhiteGreen GWG.

While noting that people who did not win any election during the congresses were now running the affairs of the party in Akwa Ibom, he said:

“Presently, we are all living witnesses to the fact that our Party has been constrained to seemingly conduct primaries that are not consistent with the provision of Section 84 (1) of the Electoral Act which states:

“A political Party seeking to nominate candidates for elections under this Act shall hold primaries for aspirants to all elective positions which shall be monitored by the Commission”

“In line with this provision the Commission shall, in monitoring primaries, only recognize delegates that emerge from Congresses duly monitored by the Commission.”

“The consequence of such conduct of primaries remains clear that our Party in Akwa Ibom State may not be in the position to present any validly nominated candidate in Akwa Ibom State except the issues are redressed immediately.

“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 maybe used for the Presidential primaries. Surely if that happens then the Presidential primaries run a risk of not producing a validly nominated candidate in line with the Electoral Laws. This should not happen,” he said in warning of the possible consequence of allowing the Akwa Ibom APC crisis fester into the presidential convention.

Noting efforts by the leaders of the party to make peace, he continued:

“To clear the coast for our Party to decide its fate properly, we decided not to dwell anymore on the issues in the court room of the Court of Appeal and have now decided to withdraw forthwith from participating in further proceedings at the Court of Appeal in respect of Sen. John James Akpanudoedehe’s Appeal.

“Happily, he has respected our opinion to withdraw the appeal, in the hope that the entire matter be submitted to the Party to review, and address based on the facts and circumstances on ground.”

Send Us A Press Statement Advertise With Us Contact Us

 And For More Nigerian News Visit GWG.NG