Anambra Guber: APC Appeal Committee submits report

…NWC to take decision on report’s recommendation

The All Progressives Congress (APC) appeal committee set up to look into appeals and complaints from candidates after the Party’s August 26, 2017 Anambra State Governorship Primaries submitted its report on Tuesday at the Party’s National Secretariat in Abuja.

The party’s Organizing Secretary, Sen. Osita Izunaso received the report from the Secretary of the three-member appeal committee secretary, Dr. Nosa Aladeselu, and his colleagues including Dr. Hassan Lawal and Hon. Mala Fantami (members).

Receiving the report on behalf of the National Chairman, Chief John Odigie Oyegun, Sen. Izunaso said that final decision on the appeal committee’s report and recommendations will be taken by the Party’s National Working Committee (NWC).

“This is just one of the processes. After primaries, there will sometimes be an appeal. If there are petitions, they will be sent to the appeal committee and the committee will look at the petition and also forward their report and recommendations to the National Working Committee (NWC). This report will be presented to the NWC to enable us take the final decision”.

Submitting the report, the Secretary of the appeal committee, Dr. Nosa Aladeselu disclosed that the report contain the committee’s meeting, original affidavit of petitions received and recommendations.

“Receiving petitions according to the APC constitution is seven days after the primary election and within the next seven days, the committee should meet to submit a report which is exactly what we have done. A number of persons submitted petitions and also a good number of representations of our party members in Anambra state also made personal appearances. We also had situation where some that could not come, submitted affidavit of their understanding of the processes they observed to the committee.

“What you have here is a collection of all the complaints and responses. After reviewing the petitions from our members at the primaries, we also invited persons, officials and other stakeholders who were indicted by the petitioners. The committee also took testimonies from persons whose responses were key to our report. So what we have here is our analysis of the petition, our understanding of the witnesses we received. We have given our recommendation to the national working committee who will in its wisdom decide on the final outcome”, he said.

Recall that the Anambra governorship primary was won by Dr. Tony Nwoye who polled 2,146 votes followed by Senator Andy Ubah’s 931 votes was met with strong protest and a petition from Senator Ubah to the appeal committee.

It was gathered that some forces within the party were already pressurizing the National Working Committee to cancel the result of the primary which was won by Tony Nwoye with a large margin of 2,146 votes to Senator Andy Uba’s 931.

Tom Okpe, Abuja