Kogi Guber 2019: Aspirants Reject Report On Screening Exercise, Head To Court

Barely 24 hours after the party’s screening exercise for Kogi guber 2019, alarmed at the shoddy handling of the screening exercise for Kogi governorship primaries scheduled for Thursday, 12 aspirants for the ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC) have announced their unanimous rejection of the exercise.

The aspirants in a joint statement Thursday night, in Abuja, also hinted they would be seeking the intervention of the court as the only remedy now open to them, three days to primary, and despite any unforeseen consequences the action may have for the aspiration of APC.

The screening committee headed by Senator Hope Uzodinma had in its report which was wildly circulated to journalists yesterday, cleared incumbent Governor Yahaya Bello, and three others, out of 16 aspirants that filed nomination for the ticket of the party.

But the protesting aspirants alleged that the three cleared are lackeys of Governor Bello, who had no intention to campaign or run for any election.

Advancing reasons why the court action had become inevitable, the aggrieved aspirants said that the purported result of primaries was never communicated to them before it was published and that the spurious claims levels against some them in the report has generated a lot of apprehension in the state and may have irreparably damaged their chances before the people of state.

They also claim that although the party and the chairman of the screening committee have refused to respond to inquiries from them, APC has gone ahead to publish the purported report on the party’s website.

Vowing to stop the impunity in court for its manifest falsehood, the aggrieved aspirants said that the party jettisoned processes enshrined in its constitution and has left them no chance than to approach the court.
The statement read in part.

” The delegates and citizens in Kogi have read, become apprehensive and confused about the candidacy of their preferred aspirants and or, the possibility of the conduct of the primary elections on August 29th as announced.

“Inquiries at the APC National Secretariat convey a continuing insistence that the Party has not received the Report of the Screening Committee or made a decision about the screening exercise.

“Aspirants have now been irreparably damaged, their electoral fortunes and chances pre-empted, and their rights and privileges as citizens and party members completely undermined.

“The entire conduct of the screening exercise, the manner, irregularities and apparent inconsistencies and falsehood associated with the exercise is egregious and to railroad aspirants.

“The purported report that has been published specifically makes allegations against aspirants that are unsubstantiated, misleading and entirely inaccurate.

“The Party has a process for screening, parameters for screening, and appellate process in the Party’s Constitution.

“There is absolutely no evidence that the Party followed any known or acceptable process in the screening or appellate process whether in accordance with the Constitution or Rules, or ethos of the Party or any such association.

“There are credible allegations that the only cleared aspirants in addition to Governor Yahaya Bello (incumbent) are lackeys/cronies of the governor whose Nominations were purchased by the governor, and who have no evidence of campaigns or intention to contest the forthcoming elections.

“It is sinister that all these are occurring barely three days to the date of the elections.

“Under the circumstances, aspirants who sacrificed and committed significant resources including N22.5 Million in purchasing Nomination Forms, and campaigns across the state are constrained to consider their remedies under any prevailing laws and to the fullest extent of such laws.

“Such remedies include pre-emptive action in the coming hours that could prevent the APC from conducting the primaries slated for August 29th.

“While aspirants recognize the magnitude of, and unintended consequences of outcomes associated with pursuing the enforcement of their rights, the brazenness and impunity characterizing the conduct and handling of the Kogi screening exercise make it inevitable that aspirants proceed in a manner that preserves their rights under the law”.

RESPONSE FROM APC

Screening of aspirants is a constitutional issue. There are clear procedures for the conduct of screening of aspirants in our party’s constitution and the Electoral Act. Screening itself is not the final stage in the qualification process.

Aspirants who have objections to outcomes of screening have the opportunity of presenting their case before the Appeal Panel.

It should be noted that both the screening and appeal committees are independent of the National Working Committee as far as their activities are concerned.

By practice, having selected people believed to be credible as members of these committees, the NWC does not interfere in any way in their activities.

Aspirants have the comfort that the reports would eventually be presented to the National Working Committee where a final look will be taken on a case by case basis to ensure the outcomes are in strict compliance with our party’s constitution and the Electoral Act.

There is, therefore, no basis for any controversy on the current screening process to choose eligible aspirants who will contest at the party’s primaries to choose our candidates for the upcoming governorship elections in both Kogi and Bayelsa states.