1st September, 2013
Nigeria’s All Progressives Congress (APC) has nullified the disqualification of Mr. Godwin Ezeemo from contesting for the party’s ticket to the 16 November governorship election in the eastern state Anambra.
The party’s interim National Secretary, Mr Tijani Tunsah, confirmed this to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in a telephone interview on Saturday in Awka.
He said Ezeemo had therefore, by the decision, been cleared to contest the party’s gubernatorial primary election scheduled for Monday, Sept. 2 by the screening panel.
“I can confirm that the decision to disqualify Ezeemo has been reversed, and he has now been cleared to contest the primaries,’’ the official said.
Ezeemo was earlier disqualified by the party’s screening panel on the ground that he had dual citizenship. Ezeemo was also disqualified on the grounds that he was convicted by a UK court last year over toxic waste export to Nigeria. The conviction was upheld by an appeal court in the same country. (Please read the story here)http://news.sky.com/story/1020974/eight-convicted-of-toxic-waste-dump-scam
But protests had trailed his disqualification, with Ezeemo heading to the party’s primaries appeal panel.
Meanwhile, Ezeemo, following his clearance, had on Saturday arrived in the state to the warm embrace of hundreds of APC supporters, NAN reported.
The supporters had thronged Amanse, the border town between Enugu state and Anambra, to receive him.
They had carried palcards, some of which read “With Godwin Ezeemo, Next Level’’, “Here we come’’, “The hero of our time, Ezeemo, is a divine messenger’’.
Addressing them, Ezeemo expressed deep appreciation for the support given to him by the party faithful who came out to receive him in such great numbers.
“Because of this, I will not disappoint you,’’ he said.
The governorship aspirant told the supporters that the reversal of his disqualification followed the petition he forwarded to the appeal panel via the internet.
“In view of this, I pledge that our children will be part of the current internet technology,’’ he said.
Ezeemo pointed out that the state had not developed to the level it ought to, promising to transform the state to its rightful socio-economic position if he became its governor.
The APC national caucus, at a meeting in Abuja, had adopted Sen. Chris Ngige as a consensus candidate for the Anambra gubernatorial election.
This followed the stepping down by one of the gubernatorial aspirants, Senator Annie Okonkwo, for Ngige.
Ezeemo contested the decision and called for fair primaries.
“I called for a true internal democracy which the party stands for, and if at the end of a free and fair primary election on Monday I lose, I will wholeheartedly give all my support for the party’s success in the state,’’ the aspirant said.