Imo APC By-election: Committee Members Explain Araraume’s Victory

Imo APC By-election: Committee Members Explain Araraume’s Victory

Three members of the Primary Election Committee set up by the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the Imo North Senatorial by- election have said that they declared Senator Ifeanyi Araraume winner because the figures from the field on the day of the primaries showed that he actually scored the highest number of votes.

The members of the Electoral Panel include, Alhaji Umar Nguma, Mohammed Saliu and Prince Ifedi Ejim.

The members, who were at the APC National Secretariat in Abuja to submit the report of the primaries, which they conducted in the 64 wards in Imo Senatorial District, expressed shock that people could concoct figures and asked the primary election committee members to sign declaring a certain favoured aspirant winner.

Nguma who spoke on behalf of others, said that as a good Muslim, he would never collect gratification to endorse falsehood.

“How could we declare somebody who failed a winner simply because he was being supported by two powerful people in government?” he queried.

Nguma added that it was very clear that Araraume was the choice of the people, saying it would be inhuman to deny him victory when he had actually won the primaries based on the figures from the field.

He warned that democracy would be in danger if political parties allowed powerful people to be writing results in hotels and government houses only to turn around to force those saddled with the conduct of elections to append their signatures to fake figures.

Nguma said that he and his two other colleagues had performed the duty assigned to them and that it was up to APC to take a decision on the way forward.

While the Nguma-led group announced Araraume winner of the APC primaries, another set led by Senator Ajibola Bashir declared Frank Ibezim winner.

The APC leadership is expected to take a decision on who finally gets the ticket.

Related Articles