Obi, Umeh Did Not Influence Soludo, Others’ Disqualification, Says Apga Panel The All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) panel screening candidates for the forthcoming governorship election in Anambra State Monday, dispelled insinuations that the disqualification of the former Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Prof. Charles Soludo and five other governorship aspirants from standing for the party’s primary election was influenced by the party’s National Chairman, Victor Umeh and Governor Peter Obi. Briefing journalists in Enugu, a former Deputy National Chairman of the party and a member of the screening panel, Chief Onwuka Ukwa, said the party complied with the provisions of the party’s constitution as well as the guidelines set out for the screening, before arriving at the eventual disqualification of six aspirants and clearing of the remaining seven. The party’s screening committee had disqualified six out of the 13 aspirants that purchased nomination forms of the party. Those affected included Soludo, a former Secretary to the State Government (SSG) in the state, Oseloka Obaze, Emmanuel Nweke, Ogbuefi Tony Nnachetta, Chinedu Francis Idigo, and Dr. Chike Obidigbo. The appeal panel also ratified their disqualification last Saturday, thereby foreclosing their participation in the November 16 governorship election on the platform of APGA. Though Ukwa insisted that his committee refused to reveal the reasons behind the disqualification of the affected persons to the public, he, however, explained that each of the affected persons was at liberty to do so. He challenged anybody, who was not satisfied with the party’s decision to come up with his reasons. “I can tell you clearly here that we were not tele-guided by anybody; either from the party leadership or the governor of Anambra State. I can also tell you that we conducted this exercise in such a manner that a high level of integrity was ensured which encompasses creating a free and fair environment, transparency. “Let me also commend the admirable way all of them conducted themselves throughout the period of the screening, which goes to show that our democracy is advancing. "I also want to say that it is very clear that they all appreciate the level of integrity with which the process was conducted because it is evident in the interview they gave out after the screening but if something else is being said after the release of the result, it is expected but the committee and the party will appreciate that whoever has any quarrel with the outcome to look at the entire process in its totality not to single out a particular individual because all the aspirants are the same. “They were asked the same question in the same order; they were given the same time. They were all relaxed. When we set out on the assignment, the party leadership had one particular thing in mind and that is to set a standard for a political exercise of this nature and also to prove that things could be done in a reasonable and constructive way in Nigeria. "It means that a party can conduct this kind of activity without the usual accompanying violence and rancour; very peaceful, it was conducted with certain level of integrity, transparency and everybody was free, the atmosphere was free and fair and we gave everyone equal opportunity. “To those that did not obtain favourable result from the exercise, it is not the end of the world. What we need to stop is the do-or-die attitude towards politics. We must be matured enough, accommodating enough to accept certain results. But, I am happy that on their own, voluntarily, they made a commitment that whether the results favour them or not that they will continue to support the party; remain in the party and support the eventual winner. This is the spirit we want to imbibe in the political system. APGA is pioneering a new attitude in politics, we have always done that, again, and we have demonstrated that this level of political exercise could be conducted in a very peaceful manner,” he noted. On the zoning of the governorship to Anambra-North senatorial zone, Ukwa said such an arrangement did not feature in the party’s screening exercise, adding that aspirants from other parts of the state were to participate in the party’s primary election. He also described as false and misleading, initial speculations that the party was planning to return the former CBN governor as a consensus candidate, stressing that APGA as a party had so much belief in the rights of the people to choose their leader, and, therefore, could not have entered into such an anti-democratic arrangement.
Posted on: Tue, 20 Aug 2013 08:20:01 +0000
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