Court orders APC to conduct election for national organising secretary

• Governorship aspirant cautions Borno delegates against vote buying
A Federal High Court, Abuja yesterday ordered the All Progressives Congress (APC) to conduct fresh elections for the office of National Organising Secretary (NOS) within 30 days.

Justice Nnamdi Dimgba gave the order while ruling on a suit filed by Senator Osita Izunaso, the plaintiff who contested the position at the party’s convention.

Izunaso had asked the court to determine whether the election into the office of National Organising Secretary was marred by violence, which led to the disenfranchisement of some states delegates.

He also asked the court to ascertain whether APC was right in declaring Emma Ibediro winner of the election since it was inconclusive as a result of the disenfranchisement of the delegates.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), APC and Ibediro were named as defendants in the matter.

While telling the court that about 100 thugs loyal to Ibediro, disrupted the election, Izunaso He said the thugs broke the ballot box, making it impossible for votes of delegates from Jigawa, Adamawa, Anambra, Abia and Imo states to be counted, thereby rendering the election inconclusive.

However, a governorship aspirant in Borno State, Gambo Lawan, has cautioned APC delegates against votes buying, saying it was capable of compromising their conscience and credibility at the primaries.

The over 3,000 delegates, will determine the outcome of indirect primaries of various elective positions at the 2019 polls.

Gambo gave the warning yesterday in Maiduguri at a media briefing on the election of candidates through indirect primaries for the governorship and other elective positions.

Meanwhile, an APC chieftain in Akwa Ibom State, Group Captain Sam Ewang (rtd), has urged the national leadership of the party to urgently intervene and resolve the crisis in the state chapter.

He explained that the party’s national leadership agreed to conduct direct primaries for all elective positions, wondering why the state leadership was clamouring for a consensus arrangement.

He said this at state rally held for re-election of President Muhammadu Buhari and the formal declaration of John James AkpanUdoedehe’s governorship aspiration at the Uyo Township Stadium.

He said the party should urgently intervene in the crisis, if it desires to do well in 2019, alleging that most of those who were elected to lead the party in the state have been compromised.