A former Special Adviser to President Muhammadu Buhari on National Assembly Matters, Alhaji Abdurahman Kawu Sumaila, has warned his ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to learn from their defeat in the Anambra election and desist from imposing candidates on the party for future elections.
The APC primary election in Anambra State was marred by complaints as all the aspirants said the Dapo Abiodun’s Committee didn’t conduct any election but announced Andy Uba as the winner of the election.
The Governor of Ogun State’s primaries produced a winner with over 300,000 persons voting in the election despite the complaints by even the leader of the party in Anambra State, Dr. Chris Ngige cried to high heavens that there was no voting in the 320 wards of the state.
Speaking about this, Sumaila, who was also a Deputy Minority Leader in the House of Representatives, said the era of imposing candidates on anybody is over.
The APC member who contested for the Kano South Senatorial District seat and lost to Kabiru Gaya in the 2019 general elections, said this on his verified Facebook account.
He added that whether direct or indirect elections, what matters the most is free and fair elections.
“I’m not very concerned about Direct primaries or indirect modes of selecting our candidates, But let’s be sincere and ready to do justice to ourselves (APC).
“The era of imposition of candidates is gone. Anambra is the best lesson for us.”
APC’s Andy Uba lost the Anambra election after polling 43,285 votes to come a distant third behind Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Valentine Ozigbo, and All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) candidate, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, the winner.
All the decampees to the APC amounted to nullity as their defection failed to change the fortune of the party in the election. The incumbent Deputy Governor, Dr. Nkem Okeke, Senator Stella Odua and many House of Representative members that decamped couldn’t win their local government areas, while some, including Okeke lost even his polling unit.
