Lulu-Briggs demands postponement of Rivers APC guber primaries

One of the keen aspirants to the Rivers State governorship seat in Rivers State under the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief Dumo Lulu-Briggs, the faction loyal to the Transport Minister, has called on the National Working Committee of the party to postpone the Rivers State governorship primaries.

The aspirant said a postponement of the primaries became necessary in order to correct the alleged gross anomalies which he claimed had marred the process.

He alleged that the current process had been skewed in favour of Arch. Tonye Cole, the preferred aspirant of the leader of the party in Rivers State, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi.

It would be recalled that Chief Dumo Lulu-Briggs had expressed his support for direct primaries but decided to go along with the decision of the National Working Committee of the APC which approved indirect primaries for Rivers State.

According to the aspirant, events leading to governorship primaries in Rivers State had witnessed some anomalies that had “robbed it of the minimum acceptable standard that can guarantee its credibility.

He enumerated some of the anomalies to include: “That the Rivers State Executive Committee has openly supported and canvassed support for Arch. Tonye Cole, the preferred aspirant of Rt. Hon. Chibuike Amaechi.

“That State Delegates to the primary were not elected by party members in proper ward congresses but merely handpicked by the Rivers State Executive Committee.

“That in spite of the flawed process in which the so-called State Delegates were selected, the list of delegates and the guideline for the primary have not been made public.

Our request to the State Executive Committee yesterday, Saturday, 29th of September, 2018, less than twenty four hours to the primary date for the list of delegates and guidelines yielded no fruit rather we were referred to the National Executive Committee of our great party.

“That we have intercepted text messages sent by officials of the State Exco to these handpicked delegates to assemble at secret locations for accreditation and transportation to an undisclosed venue for the primary.”

He then concluded that it was clear from all indications that the minimum standards to guarantee a free and fair governorship primaries were nonexistent and that he had decided not to give credence to “this obvious charade and hereby call for its postponement.”