— It Was Free, Fair – Party
By Honours Akhigbe
The local government primary election conducted throughout the 18 Local Government Areas of Edo State by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), may have come and gone but the dusts generated by it are yet to fully settle.
There are still loud cries and accusations of cheating, imposition and hand picking of candidates, by some of the party leaders, aspirants and their followers.
Whereas those favoured by the exercise are rejoicing, the losers are crying, kicking, protesting, in tears, sorrows and pains, alleging that the primary election was not transparent, free, fair and credible.
But curiously, days after the primaries, the party is yet to release a comprehensive list of all the supposed winners in the election, thus further fueling the allegations that handpicking, favouritism and imposition of candidates characterized the party primary election.
“From the days of AC (Action Congress) through ACN (Action Congress of Nigeria) till now when you have the APC (All Progressives Congress), the party has never organized a direct primary.
“So, why should anybody be surprised or crying over spilled milk. Those of us who have eyes and were wise enough saw it coming from afar but only the greedy and die hard members plunged into the race with their two legs and hands.
“In the APC, being candidates at any level has usually been the prerogative of the top government officials and some party leaders. They always have field day and this present one was not different at all,” an APC ward leader confided in The Reliance.
Meanwhile, the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Edo State has discredited reports that the party primaries held on January 24, were marred by crisis in some local government areas in the state, insisting that the exercise was not only peaceful but that the outcome demonstrated the will of the people.
In a statement, the Publicity Secretary of the APC in the state, Mr. Chris Azebamwan said reports that there was crisis during the exercise at Egor local government secretariat were “blown out of proportion,” and was the figment of the imagination of mischief makers who saw crisis where there was none.
He added that, “as in all contests, there were disagreements, which were resolved amicably among party members.”
According to him, “The party primary elections across the different parts of the state were generally peaceful and we appreciate members of the party for conducting themselves as responsible and law-abiding citizens throughout the exercise.
“The conduct of the primaries is a departure from what obtained in the past when the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) held sway. Time was when primaries in this state were marred by violence. People were killed on election days. An exercise was never concluded without a bloodbath and reports of maiming of innocent people or violent clashes by rival gangs hired by those in the opposition today.
“But I am sure many people in this state weren’t even aware that the primary elections of Wednesday because of the calmness and peace that reigned while the exercise lasted. We are glad we have exited the era of violence, and we discourage media reports that exaggerate, inflate and sensationalise events to increase viewership. It is a cheap tactic and discerning professionals know the difference between responsible reportage and a deliberate effort to discredit a fact.”
He continued, “With the results, we are convinced that the people had the final say and have chosen candidates that will swell the fortunes of the party as well as ferry the party to victory in the forthcoming polls.”
Noting that disagreement or incident does not translate to crisis, he said, “We are convinced that the reports are the handiwork of mischief makers who are looking for crisis and division where there is none.
“I dare reiterate that the exercise was peaceful, free and fair and many of the party members will attest to this. The pictures are everywhere in the newspapers where the party members dutifully queued to cast their votes. So, we wonder where the crisis came from.”
Azebamwan called on socially responsible reportage by the media especially as the March 3 polls draw close, urging residents in the state to come out en masse to exercise their franchise.
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