Fresh crisis seems to be brewing over the disputed All Progressives Congress (APC) primaries for the Anambra governorship poll as the party’s appeal committee has upheld the outcome of the poll that produced Senator Andy Uba as the winner.
Although the National Secretary of the APC Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee, Sen John James Akpanudoedehe, claimed ignorance of the content of the report, he however, reminded the aggrieved aspirants protesting the outcome that the party leadership still remains the supreme deciding factor to determine who becomes the candidate of the party for the Anambra poll.
Speaking while receiving the appeal committee’s report at the party’s national secretariat in Abuja on Monday, he said the final decision would be guided by the report and recommendations submitted by the committee.
However, a source close to the appeal committee told Daily Sun in confidence that the committee did not only uphold the outcome of the primaries, but it also recommended that the party leadership used the presidency to pacify the aggrieved aspirants.
“I can confirm to you that the appeal committee has upheld the outcome of the primaries conducted in Anambra, which produced Senator Andy Uba, despite the protests from other aggrieved aspirants.
However, aware of the backlash it will produce, the committee and the party leadership seems to have resolved to use the presidency to pacify and appeal to the aggrieved aspirants with the conviction that many of them will not object to the intervention from the presidency,” our source noted.
But, preempting the appeal report, one of the aspirants told Daily Sun in confidence that it would be easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for him to accept the report or intervention from the presidency.
“Yes, members of the appeal committee actually invited us where we tabled our grievances, informing them that no primary election was held in Anambra, but it was very unfortunate that in their wisdom, they still went ahead to uphold the outcome of that charade called primaries.
“As for using the presidency to pacify us, I would rather wait for the final decision of the party’s national leadership because the intervention of the presidency cannot stop me from seeking redress,” he threatened.
Speaking while receiving the report, the party’s chief scribe, Akpanudoedehe, said: “I stand on behalf of the party chairman to thank you immensely for the rapidity, expediency and urgency that you gave to this assignment. Thank you very much. We are a progressive party and progressive parties are very straightforward and we are honest in our dealings.
“I want to assure you that the Caretaker Committee Chairman and the Caretaker will look critically with objectivity to this report. Even though I don’t know what is contained in the report, at the end of the day, party supremacy and direction will be guided by what you have done,” he said.
Speaking on the sideline after submitting the report, the Committee’s chairman and Governor of Gombe State, Inuwa Yahaya, revealed that all the aspirants and stakeholders appeared before the committee.
He said: “As I promised, we did justice to the assignment. We heard their complaints. We went through the petitions and we have written our report based on the materials that we got, which helped us to prepare our recommendations.
“I will wish that you wait for the report from the national caretaker committee because for now, all the documents are with it. But we believe justice has been done.
“Virtually all the aggrieved aspirants attended the meeting. We summoned all of them. It was not only the contestants, even senior stakeholders from the South-East, particularly from Anambra State,” he said.
The Gombe Governor had, while submitting the report, said: “Let me seize the opportunity to thank you and members of the National Caretaker Committee for deeming us fit and worthy to handle this assignment.