APC convention: Izunaso rejects result

THE immediate past national organising secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Osita Izunaso, has rejected the result of the election that produced Emma Ibediro as the new national organising secretary of the party.

Honourable Ibediro was the anointed candidate of Imo State governor, Rochas Okorocha for the position.

Members of the Imo state APC Stakeholders Forum addressed a press briefing in Abuja on Tuesday where they disclosed that their candidate has filed the petition before the appeal panel led by former Senate President, Ken Nnamani.

The leader of the group, Theo Ekechi, claimed that results of five states were not announced as ballot boxes that contained the ballot papers were smashed on the ground.

Honourable Ekechi who listed the states as Abia, Anambra, Imo, Akwa Ibom and Jigawa further claimed that delegates from the affected states voted for Senator Izunaso.

He further alleged that the Jigawa State governor and chairman of the convention planning committee, Abubakar Badaru, made himself available as the willing tool to undermine Senator Izunaso and denied the latter of victory.

He said: “For Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Abia and Adamawa states, the ballot box containing votes for National Organising Secretary after due conclusions of the casting of votes were brazenly destroyed in the full glare of the press, security men, returning officers and delegates by thugs and security men who accompanied the Governor of lmo State to the affected pavilion.

“In the case of Imo State, Governor Badaru unequivocally demonstrated his bias, compromise and prejudice against the candidacy of Senator Osita lzunaso and his unhidden support for the sponsored candidate of his brother Governor, Rochas Okorocha.

“Imo State 226 duly accredited and seated delegates were willfully and skillfully excluded from voting by the convention chairman, Governor Badaru.

“May l emphasise that this is Senator Izunaso’s home, catchment state.

“The Imo State delegates were duly screened at the Old Parade ground by (Mrs) lreti Kingibe along with many other states as duly and officially announced by the convention committee.

After our screening and in accordance with the convention guidelines the lmo delegates were accordingly transported with designated buses to the convention venue and thereafter escorted to the Imo Pavilion.

It is therefore to the shock of the Imo delegates and the South East in general that Governor Badaru after so many prevarications announced that himself, Rochas Okorocha and the endorsed South East aspirant, Senator Osita Izunaso, had reached a consensus that for peace to reign the lmo delegates would not be voting.

We quickly contacted Senator Izunaso who vehemently denied ever having a discussion with Governor Badaru talk more of reaching a consensus that will deny his own obvious supporter-state delegates from voting for him. All efforts to make Governor Badaru rescind the announcement proved abortive as he cleverly and artfully evaded all efforts to engage him in any further conversation to expose his lies.

Once again, for the records, at no point did Senator lzunaso or any of his agents had such an agreement whether oral or written to disenfranchise lmo accredited delegates!

“In the case of Jigawa State, the Convention Chairman’s own state, the ballot papers for the office of the National Organising Secretary was curiously missing! Yet Jigawa State is the home state of Governor Badaru.

There is no doubt why Governors Baduru and Okorocha targeted these states for exclusion from collated votes before announcing the results. Anambra, lmo and Abia States are part of the South East zone that endorsed Senator Izunaso unequivocally and were seen to have accordingly voted for him overwhelmingly.

In the case of Akwa Ibom and Adamawa states, exit polls indicated also that they voted overwhelmingly for Senator Izunaso.

Intelligence information reveals that the ballot papers for Jigawa for the National Organising Secretary had been pre-marked (pre-thumb printed) but could not be stuffed at last minute as planned because of a failure of their strategy.

What a shame “From the above presentations it is obvious that the National Convention Chairman, HE, Governor Badaru clearly compromised in the discharge of his duty at least with respect to the election of National Organising Secretary goaded and guided by his friend, Governor Rochas Okorocha.

This act is a terrifying disservice to the image of a progressive party which, since its birth strives to be a pace setter in transparency and due process. This rape of democracy, masterminded by two sitting Governors of the party is scandalous and therefore condemnable.

The redress must be effected to restore the dignity and integrity of our great party, APC.

“For fairness, equity, justice, and peace and in line with the tenets of both the APC and Federal constitutions, the 1,246 votes of the affected states must count towards the declaration of the election result. “