Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has disqualified four House of Representatives aspirants from participating in the party’s primaries scheduled for Friday, 27th May, 2022.
The Appeal Committee received petitions against 65 aspirants for the House of Representatives, out of which four aspirants were disqualified.
The three-man appeal panel made this known in the report dated 20th May, 2022 and submitted to the National Chairman of the party, Senator Abdullahi Adamu, through the office of the National Organizing Secretary.
The 19-page report jointly signed by the Chairman of the Committee, Mr. Chinedu Okonkwo, the Secretary, Mr. Kate Nnamani and Hon. Robinson Uwak, member of the appeal panel, a copy of which was made available to journalists Thursday, revealed that the affected aspirants were disqualified on various offences and in line with the party guidelines and extant laws.
The Committee said the petitions from the party’s National Vice Chairman, South East, Dr. Ijeomah Arodiogbu and two other members of APC alluded to the fact that the aspirant had earlier presented himself before the screening Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on the 29th April, 2022.
The committee said Mr. Archibong Bassey Joseph from Cross River State, was said to have been disqualified, after carefully attending to the petition from his brother, Elder Joseph Bassey, alluding that he was the valid owner of the WAEC certificate submitted by the aspirant and that he did not have his express permission to use it.
Also, the committee noted that Mr. Efiong Robinson Edumoh from Akwa Ibom was disqualified by the appeal panel due to “discrepancy in the identity of the aspirant”.
The committee noted that Edumoh was said to have filled ‘Edumoh, Robinson Effiong’ in the expression of interest and nomination forms, whereas the name appearing on his voter’s card reads ‘Abianga, Robinson Effiong’.
It added that Dr. Pascal Obi Chigozie, who seeks to represent Ideato North/South Federal Constituency of Imo State, was disqualified on the ground of anti-party activities.
While Mr. Oche who seeks to represent Ado/Okpokwu/Ogbadibo Federal Constituency of Benue State was disqualified due to a pending criminal case against him before the Magistrate Court Bwari, bothering on forgery, perjury and conspiracy.
The Committee also said it was able to establish that a criminal trial of Oche was ongoing at the Magistrate Court, Bwari with suit number CR/23/2022 and seriously frowned at the refusal of the aspirant to disclose it while filing his nomination forms.
It resolved: “Having gone through the petition and in view of the weighty allegations therein and exhibits attached, this Committee made frantic efforts to reach out to the respondent (Mr. Oche Sunday Oche) through numerous phone calls to make himself available before the Committee to clarify the veracity of the said allegations, to no avail”, the report reads in part.
“That Mr. Oche Sunday Oche’s failure to disclose the pending criminal trial against him while filing his nomination form is a fraudulent act and a total failure of an integrity test expected of any leader seeking to lead the party at any level. Worst still, it is an unpardonable breach of the party’s guideline and instructions which is capable of negatively affecting the party’s victory in the forthcoming election.
“That the ongoing criminal trial against Mr. Oche Sunday Oche is one capable of securing him a fourteen year imprisonment if found guilty and the party cannot be seen to be taking such a costly risk”.
The Committee, while thanking the party leadership for providing the opportunity to serve, also appealed to members, especially the affected aspirants, to accept this report as this was done with a clear mind and no fear or favour with no intentions of victimizing anybody.
