- Ndoma-Egba asks opposition party to approach court
By Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has said that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is merely exhibiting ignorance by inputting that the election of its new national chairman violated the Electoral Act.
Similarly, the Secretary of the APC National Convention Committee, Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba, has also dared the main opposition party to approach the court if it feels that any aspect of the Electoral Act has been violated during last weekend’s national convention.
He said that as far the party is concerned it has not flouted any of its rules or the Electoral Act.
When asked to comment on the convention budget, Ndoma-Egba said the committee is still collating reports from the various subcommittees, adding that one of the things they must address is how much did you receive and how much did you spend and after that, the accounts will be audited.
In a statement issued by its National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdulahi, APC said that PDP is still in shock that its prediction of collapse of the ruling party ahead of the convention did not come to pass.
PDP had asked the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to annul the results of the APC National Chairman Adams Oshiomhole and others that emerged through voice votes and affirmation, citing certain provisions of the Electoral Act.
However, APC has described such a call as exhibition of ignorance on the part of the opposition party.
APC said that its election guidelines provide that all party posts can be filled by democratically conducted elections or by consensus, provided that where a candidate has emerged by consensus for an elective position, a vote of “Yes†or “No†is called to ensure that it was not an imposition.
“This was clearly adhered to in many positions, including the national chairmanship position which was unopposed.
“We read with dismay, but without surprise, the statement released by the opposition PDP, calling on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to annul the results of the highly-successful National Convention of our party held last Saturday, June 23,” APC said.
On the allegation that its governors contributed a whooping N3.6 billion for the convention, APC said PDP should go ahead and show which governors contributed the amount being alleged to the convention.
“We imagine the utter shock and disappointment the dying opposition party must have felt to see that their prediction of collapse for our party ahead of the convention did not come to pass. Unable to recover from the shock, they now indulge in ignorant whimper, calling on INEC to help them do what they are best at doing, annulling elections,” it said.
APC said it is quite distressing to see that a party that held power for 16 years did not know that INEC has no role in internal elections of a political party.
“We also wonder which position the PDP contested for at our convention which entitles them to take it upon themselves to challenge the process. If the PDP now sees itself as an interested party in our internal elections, we would encourage them to send their petitions to the Convention Appeals Committee of our party. We however do not expect them to understand this process of internal democracy.
“It is clear to everyone that having been kicked out of power, the PDP still has no idea what to do three years after. However, playing the busybody and so openly advertising their ignorance of basic electoral rules will make it even more difficult for Nigerians to grant them the forgiveness that they have begged for.
“What is PDP’s grouse? That INEC should not recognise the new APC National Chairman, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, as his emergence by affirmation is according to the PDP in violation of democratic requirements of direct voting by delegates,” it said.
APC said that PDP is terrified by Oshiomhole’s emergence hence their baseless allegations peddling and conspiracy theory.
APC said that it is indeed ridiculous that a party whose convention was a bazaar where delegates were bought and sold with dollars could brazenly allege corruption against our party.
“We have dealt with the issue of membership contributions in an earlier statement. We however ask this ‘new anti-corruption crusaders’ to start with the basic task of producing audited accounts. Till today, APC remains the only political party in the country to have done so. Nigerians know that PDP talking about corruption is like prostitutes preaching sexual morality. They don’t take them seriously.
“We also find it quite amusing, the PDP’s ill informed attempt to politicise the recent poverty reports by a United States think-tank,” it said.
