APC Slams Ex-CRS REC, Okays Others for Bayelsa, Kogi Guber Primaries

APC Slams Ex-CRS REC, Okays Others for Bayelsa, Kogi Guber Primaries

…As PDP Endorses 34 Aspirants The Bayelsa State Gubernatorial Primary Election Screening Committee of the All Progressive Congress (APC) has disqualified the immediate past Cross River State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Dr. Briyai Oyeins Frankland from participating in the August 29th primaries of the state. Briyai, who recently resigned his appointment as REC in controversial

…As PDP Endorses 34 Aspirants

The Bayelsa State Gubernatorial Primary Election Screening Committee of the All Progressive Congress (APC) has disqualified the immediate past Cross River State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Dr. Briyai Oyeins Frankland from participating in the August 29th primaries of the state.

Briyai, who recently resigned his appointment as REC in controversial circumstances citing home pressure, was reportedly disqualified for not being a card-carrying member of APC for up to one calendar year.

Those cleared for the primaries are Mr Preys Aganaba, Mr Ebitimi Amgbare, Ms. Diseye Poweigha, Mr. Lyon David, Professor Ongoebi Etebu and Senator Heineken Lokpobiri.

In its report addressed to the National Chairman of APC, Mr Adams Oshiomhole, the committee headed by Mr Isa Song said only Briyai was not cleared after a thorough exercise .

The committee in the report signed by all its seven members said it conducted its exercise in line with the guidelines and code of conduct of the APC.

It said the guidelines stipulated that aspirants must have been card-carrying members of the party up to one calendar year, must show their original credentials and in the case of multiple declarations of age, must harmonise same to avoid untoward situation.

The report insisted that the modalities adopted for the screening was the balloting of numbers one to seven, which was picked by each aspirant to determine the order for which they were called to appear before the committee.

“Each aspirant was asked questions relating to qualifications and conduct in line with both party constitution and election guidelines to contest for the Governorship Primary election under the platform of the APC”, the report said.

It added: “We also asked them to produce evidence of membership of the party, voters’ card and payment of the prescribed fees as well as the original copy of their credentials for sighting. The screening committee was empowered to screen aspirants for the governorship election for Bayelsa’

“Therefore, Dr. Briyai Frankland was not cleared and disqualified on the ground of Section 3 paragraph ‘L’ of the guidelines for nomination of candidates”.

The National Working Committee of the APC has also cleared five more aspirants to stand for the party’s primaries for the upcoming governorship election Kogi state.

The Senator Hope Uzodinma Committee that screened there aspirants had initially cleared only four of the aspirants, including Governor Yahaya Bello.

But a statement by the spokesman of the party, Mr Lanre Issa-Onliu, on Wednesday said five more aspirants were cleared after the NWC deliberated on the reports of the screening and appeal committees for the primaries.

Issa-Onilu said: “After a comprehensive review of the submissions by the two committees, relying on the party’s guidelines and the provisions of the Electoral Act, nine aspirants were finally cleared to contest the August 29, 2019 indirect governorship primary.

“Seven other aspirants did not meet the requirements for participation in the exercise.”

Those cleared were Bello, Mrs Hadiza Iyoma Ibrahim, Mr Yahaya Odidi Audu, Mr Sani Lulu Abdullahi, Mr Abubakar Bashir, Mr. Danlami Umar Mohammed, Mr Yakubu Mohammed, Mr Hassan Abdullahi and Mr Ekele Aishat Blessing.

Those not cleared were Prof. Mohammed Seidu Onaili, Mr Usman Oyibe Jibrin, Mr Mustapha Mona Audu, Mrs Rukkaya Ibrahim, General Patrick Adenu Akpa, Mr Babatunde Ayo Kunle Irukera and Mr Muhammed Abubakar Unukwu Audu.

The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has also cleared all the 34 screened aspirants from Bayelsa and Kogi for the party’s governorship primaries in both states scheduled for September 5.

The PDP National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Kola Ologbondiyan, confirmed to journalists on Wednesday that all the 13 screened aspirants from Bayelsa State were cleared. while 21 aspirants were cleared in Kogi State.

According to the list, the aspirants that were cleared in Kogi State include Mr Wada Idris; Senator Dino Melaye; Mr Erico Ameh, Mr Aminu Suleiman, Mrs Grace Adejoh, Mr Abubakar Ibrahim, Mr Kabiru Haruna, Mr Musa Wada, Mr Saliu Atawodi, Mr Mohammed Adah, Mr Victor Adoji, Mr Baye Averehi and Mr Emmanuel Omebije.

The aspirants from Kogi State were screened by the Screening Committee headed by the Governor of Taraba State, Mr Darius Ishaku, at the PDP presidential campaign office in Maitama, popularly called the Legacy House.

Those cleared in Bayelsa State are Mr Kaniebi Okoko, Mr Great Maciver, Mr Franklin Osaisai, Mr Ndutime Alaibe, Mr Benson Agadaga, Mr Frederick Agbedi, Mr Reuben Okoya, Mr Diri Douye, Mr Talford Ongolo, Mr Kemlea Okara, Mr Gboribiogha Jonah, Mr Benson Konbowei, Dr Godknows Igali, Mr Johnson Kiyaramo, Mr Paulker Emmanuel, Mr Yariela Oliver, Mr Anthony George-Ikoli, Mr Robinson Etolor, Mr Nimibofa Ayawei, Mr David Alagoa and Mr Igiri Ziperedein.

They were screened at the PDP Secretariat at Wadata, Abuja by the screening committee headed by the Governor of Oyo State, Mr Seyi Makinde.

The PDP National Chairman, Mr Uche Secondus while addressing the aspirants said the party had no preference as to the aspirants, who emerge the governorship candidates in the two states, adding that the party would ensure transparent governorship primary elections in the states.

Secondus said, “The election of the ad hoc delegates will resume from Thursday. The elections will be transparently done to the satisfaction of all.  The party and indeed the National Working Committee has no preferred candidates. We can’t do that to the detriment of the party.

“Our only duty is to ensure that only the best candidates emerge. We will follow the rules to the letter because we want the best.  Anyone that tells you that the party has a preferred candidate is deceiving you. The era of impunity in the party is gone.

As the National Chairman, I will not preside where anyone will claim that he or she is the preferred candidate of the party.”

The PDP says that the national chairman of the party has never interfered in the processes of the Bayelsa State governorship primary scheduled for September 3. Mr Ologbondiyan, said this at a news conference on Tuesday in Abuja.

The PDP South-South Youth Vanguard had earlier warned Secondus against interfering in the Bayelsa governorship primary.

But Ologbondiyan said the allegation was totally wrong and was just being used to create a wrong impression about the party and its leaders to the public.

He said the process for the primaries was still ongoing and the party had yet to take any position.

“It is totally unfair and misplaced for anybody or group of people to allege that the party has taken a position,” he said.

Ologbondiyan said the party had constituted committees to go and conduct three ad hoc delegates elections.

“I can clearly say that the governors who chaired those teams, to the best of their abilities, were wonderful in their performance and such other processes will follow,” he said.

Ologbondiya said the party had a channel for aggrieved aspirants or members to express themselves.

He said: “If there are grievances, aspirants and members should follow that rather than making frivolous allegations.”

He, however, expressed confidence that the PDP was going to win Bayelsa and Kogi States governorship elections in a free and fair elections, saying the two states were PDP strongholds.

He said there was no division in the PDP in Kogi, adding that the party was “intact and strong” in both states going into the two governorship elections.

He urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, to ensure that Kogi and Bayelsa States elections were credible.

Photo: Dr Briyai Frankland

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