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| Rochas Okorocha. Imo State Governor. |
Embattled
Imo state Governor, Rochas Okorocha may have lost the second leg of the battle
to get the national leadership of his ruling All Progressives Congress APC to
declare that there were no ward congresses in the state as the Appeal Committee
constituted to determine petitions arising from the conduct of the exercise has
affirmed that the congresses were conducted and officials duly elected.
This
was as the committee said the governor lacked the locus standi to file any
petition asking for a cancellation of the exercise because “the persons who
would have the right to petition over the conduct of the ward congress
elections are those qualified to contest the congress having purchased the
forms.”
In
its report dated May 10 and addressed to the National Chairman of the APC,
Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, the Sen. Abubakar Tutare-led appeal committee held
that “the petitions were written by unqualified persons and therefore
would be construed as lacking the locus standi/basis to bring in any
petitions.”
Other
members of the three-member committee who signed the report are Hajia Hassana
Abdullahi and Mr. Ikenna Uzoka. Part of the report which was obtained by
Vanguard read:”The panel began its official duty on Sunday the 6th of May 2018
by meeting APC Imo state Exco led by the state party chairman, Hilary Eke, the
deputy state party chairman and the state organizing secretary.
Thereafter
the panel paid a courtesy visit to the state governor at the Government House.
“The lmo State Governor expressed his grievances regarding the exercise and
provided videos and a petition for consideration by the panel. “The congress
committee tasked with the responsibility of conducting the ward congress
elections submitted a report to the appeal committee.
“The
committee also received another report from the state party secretariat
affirming that the ward elections held in all the 305 wards in Imo state.“
A
petition was also received from Obioma Ifeagwu who signed as the Acting State
Secretary of APC stating that there was no election, with a communiqué
attached.
“The
panel received a petition from the chairman of the Ward congress committee in
which he detailed his experiences which included allegations of kidnap and
threats by the Imo State Governor and others.
“Several
other petitions came affirming that the elections held but their complaint was
that they were not able to contest as they could not buy the forms. After going
through the petitions and carrying out our verifications, we have come to the
following conclusions.
“That
the congress committee which duty it was to conduct the congress elections
affirmed that the elections took place; that the APC state party chairman and
his deputy affirmed that the elections were duly held in all the 305
wards in the state; that the video evidence presented by the petitioner was an
incident that took place in a private residence which was not a ward congress
voting venue.
“Videos
were also received from various ward election committees showing ward
congresses being conducted in Imo State. “Finally, based on the evidence and
careful consideration carried out by us as the appeal committee, we hereby hold
that the ward congresses of the 5th of May 2018 were duly conducted and held in
the 305 wards in Imo State and APC ward officers were duly elected.”
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