FCT Primaries: Observers advise APC over conduct

The coalition of observers accredited by All Progressives Congress (APC) to monitor its primaries into Senate and House of Representatives seats in the Federal Capital Territory has expressed reservation, saying the exercise did not hold as planned.

Spokesperson of the coalition, Aminu Anyama, said this when he addressed newsmen shortly before the commencement of the National Convention of the APC in Abuja on Saturday.

He said that members of the coalition, who had earlier monitored the APC Senate primary on Friday, were also disappointed as voting did not take place in any of the centres during the primary for the House of Representatives on Friday.

“When the situation took place on Friday during the conduct of the Senate primary, we thought that the scenario would be different on Saturday. But it was the same story.

“It is our belief that the party’s national leadership will take decisive action on what happened.

“As observers, we only take note of what transpires during such exercise, but we do not have the right or mandate to challenge anybody on anything that transpires,” he said.

He said the observers noted that thousands of the APC members in the six area councils turned out in large numbers to exercise their franchise, but went back home disappointed as

“voting did not take place in any of the centres slated for the primary election.”

He further said that APC members waited in vain for the exercise to take place but no party official was on ground to count them for the direct primary adopted by the party.

“After waiting tirelessly, the APC members had to leave their respective polling units,” he added.

A member of the coalition, who also spoke at the event, Mr Muhammed Femi, advised the leadership of the APC to, as a matter of urgency, intervene in the matter, to avert possible legal actions against the party by aggrieved aspirants.

According to him, the party still has the chance of conducting the primaries on Oct. 7 to meet 12.00 a.m. (Monday) deadline issued by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).