The crisis in the Imo state chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) took a new twist and seems to be far from over as a chieftain of the party in the state says the APC does not have a governorship candidate in the state yet.
Convener of the APC Restoration Coalition in Imo, Dr. Theodore Ekechi, has said that contrary to speculations, the party is yet to choose a candidate for the 2019 gubernatorial election in the state.
Ekechi, who spoke to Daily Trust in Owerri on Tuesday, October 16, also said that the inability of Governor Rochas Okorocha to have his way in the ongoing political crisis in the state has exposed him as a paper weight in Imo politics.
“The present crisis in our party in the state has shown clearly that he does not have the political weight being attributed to him and that APC as a party is not in his grips.
“So it is now left for the people to take over the party and work towards saving the party in the state, knowing that the party belongs to them and not to one man,” he said.
Ekechialso dismissed insinuations that the party has chosen a governorship candidate in the state, with Ugwumba Uche Nwosu and Senator Hope Uzodinma claiming the mandate.
He said: “As far as the party is concerned, we don’t have a candidate yet. Unless it was done overnight, but as I am talking to you the court order in the suit filed by Uzodinma comes up today and we are heading to the court to know whether the order will be vacated or not.”
On what would be the fate of Uzodinma should he lose the governorship ticket, Ekechi said, “There are ongoing consultations on these positions, but three things are clear to both parties; one Hope Uzodinma is holding both the senatorial ticket of APC for Imo West (Orlu zone) as well as the governorship, two, Senator Ben Uwajumogu, is still the senatorial candidate for the Okigwe zone, while Emeka Nwajiuba remains the candidate for Okigwe south Federal constituency. At the end, Uzodinma may choose to go higher or retain his position, but this will be determined as I told you by the outcome of the consultations still going on.”
Election observer group, YIAGA Africa Watching The Vote (WTV), has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to make public its report on the monitoring of political parties’ primaries held recently in preparations for the 2019 general elections.
The group made the demand on Thursday, October 11, in Abuja, during a press briefing on the conduct of political party primaries for the 2019 general elections.
Speaking at the briefing, Ezenwa Nwagwu, co-chair, WTV working group, and Cynthia Mbamalu, project director, YIAGA Africa WTV, raised issues around exclusion of youth and women, high cost of nomination forms, vote buying and selling, access and transparency, open flouting of party guidelines, INEC guidelines as well as the Electoral Act.
