2019: APC may lose Niger, Edo – Aspirants warn

Aspirants from Niger and Edo States have warned the All Progressives Congress (APC) that if rightful measures are not taken urgently, the party might fail woefully in the 2019 general elections.

Aspirants from the states have continued to protest the irregular conduct of the legislative primaries by the party saying some power brokers in the party were bent on frustrating the re-election of President Muhammadu Buhari by their non adherence to party guidelines during the primaries.

They also warned that if their grievances are not addressed by the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party led by Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, the party should forget winning in these two states at all levels.

Addressing a press conference in Abuja on Tuesday, three Senatorial aspirants from Niger State who said they won the party tickets to fly its flag in the forthcoming election but was overturned by the Adams Oshiomhole-led NWC, warned that APC should forget the state if their mandates are not given to them.

The aspirants, Mohammed Enagi Bima from zone A, Niger South, Mohammed Sani Musa, zone B, Niger East and Haliru Zakari, from zone C, Niger North all from Niger Senatorial zones.

On his part, another aspirant from Orhionmwon/Uhunmwonde federal constituency seat in Edo state, Adaze Wilson Imafidon also petitioned the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party over the purported October 6 primary elections in the constituency.

Imafidon in the petition signed by his lawyers said in spite of the short notice given to him on the rescheduled primaries, he was able to fully mobilize his supporters who turned out en masse to all the designated wards and voting centre’s within the Federal Constituency of the state.

“Unfortunately, to the chagrin of our mammoth supporters, none of the accredited members of the appropriate committee mandated by the party to supervise and conduct the primary election into the Orhionmwon/Uhunmwonde Federal Constituency was present at the designated wards in the Federal Constituency except in Urhonigbe South where only the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) staff came to witness and observe proceedings of the grim election which never took place.

“Consequently, it is now beyond contention that the proposed primary election into the Federal House of Representatives in Orhionmwon/Uhunmwonde Federal Constituency which was slated for Saturday 6th October, 2018 and indeed all the other All Progressives Congress primary election throughout Edo State did not hold to the dismay of our party members who had queued endlessly for hours to participate in the process”, the petitioners stated.