Enugu LG Poll: APC applauds conduct of successful primaries

The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Enugu State has applauded the outcome of its primary elections for the Nov. 4 local government polls in the state.

The chairman of the APC Local Government Election Committee, Hon. Eugene Odoh, however, said that the party would cancel the outcome in centres that did not comply with party regulations.

Odoh, who is the immediate past Speaker of the State House of Assembly, said that the party had directed that all candidates must emerge through direct primaries.

“What this means is that every member with party cards must come out to vote individuals of their choice where there are no consensus candidates.

“I was in my local government area for the exercise and it came out fine. We are also getting similar reports from most centres.
“However, the primaries in centres that did not comply with the rule will be cancelled,” he said.

Odoh said that the party decided to participate in the poll after weighing its options, adding that the state governor had assured of a free and fair polls.

“We believe that the governor is a democrat and will not like to occasion breakdown of law and order in the state.

“He has charged all involved in the exercise to be fair to all parties and the APC has taken him in his words,” he said.

He said that the party had been so proactive and had set up a security committee that would give pre-action notices to security agencies before, during and after the polls.

He said that heads of security agencies in the state including the commissioner of police, the military and the SSS had been notified of the development.

“The whole essence is to give a pre-action notice of an impending breakdown of law and order within the period.

“The posture of the Enugu State Independent Electoral Commission (ENSIEC) is taking at the moment appears as if the election is going to be rigged.

“All the indices that surround a free and fair election are yet to be seen. Notwithstanding, we are still going to participate believing that ENSIEC will be fair to all,” he said.

Odoh said that the APC would do all within the law to protect its vote, adding that the party would not contest the outcome of the election where it lost fairly.

“I can assure our supporters that wherever we win we are going to protect our victory,” Odoh said.

Moses Oyediran, Enugu