BreakingNews: APC IN A SHOW OF SHAME! #APC Primary In Anambra Marred By Irregularities –Observers# In what looks like a comprehensive assessment of the primary election conducted by APC on Monday, September 2 in Anambra State, a coalition of election monitors in Nigeria has described as sham and incredible the party primary of the party. The organisations said because of that, they cannot endorse the credibility and fairness of the election. They suggested a re-run of the primaries. It will be recalled that returning officers of APC had given damning report in some local councils while reporting the outcome of the exercise in which Senator Chris Ngige was declared winner. Also addressing journalists in Awka, the National Coordinator, Northern Patriotic Forum, Chief Dominic Alfred and Executive Secretary, Society for Good Governance and Transparency, Comrade Paul Maduka, who spoke for Coalition of Civil Society Organisations on Election Observation and Monitoring in Nigeria which has its headquarters in Abuja which monitored APC party primaries said unavailability of security personnel at various polling units, snatching of ballot boxes and ballot papers and party registers by some political thugs, non- arrival or late arrival of election materials and the likes marred the primaries, thus making the outcome unacceptable. It listed 10 areas in the 21 local councils of the state where there was either violence or no election due to violence-related reasons during the exercise. According to them ballot boxes and party registers were snatched at Ayamelum local council, ballot papers were snatched at Aguata, Awka North, Onitsha South, Ihiala, Anambra East and Orumba South local councils. Also there were no primary election at all at Nnewi South, Njikoka wards one and two and in Dunukofia local councils. The monitors also said they observed that in polling wards where ballot papers were snatched, such papers were later returned and though they had been tampered and manipulated, yet the result on them were accepted “thereby leaving doubt if the party is not biased to favour a particular candidate.” They added: “We also observed that this (manipulation) was done at ease to the party interest of a particular candidate and without the fear of external or independent party to monitor or observe during the process. This is also the first time election primary has been held without delegates or security officials, in a young and growing democracy as Nigeria and in the face of current security trend in the country thereby putting and endangering the life of the electorate.”
Posted on: Tue, 10 Sep 2013 09:15:49 +0000
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