By Lanre Oloyede
Chieftain of All Progressives Congress, APC and former Minister of Petroleum, Chief Don Etiebet has warned that the party risk a plausible disqualification of its presidential candidate if it fails to address the lingering leadership crisis in the Akwa Ibom State chapter of the party.
Chief Etiebet, also warned that the party might not have a valid governorship and presidential primaries if the issue of valid delegates list from Akwa Ibom is not addressed.
Addressing a press conference Wednesday in Abuja, Etiebet who spoke on behalf of other party leaders from Akwa Ibom state, alleged that those currently parading themselves as delegates from the State were not validly elected from a valid congress as stipulated by the Electoral Act, stressing that that might backfire if the party allows such individuals to participate in the process of electing the party’s governorship and presidential candidates.
The former Minister maintained that the APC in Akwa Ibom has been imposed with persons who did not win delegate election at a congress monitored by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC as required by the law.
He also alleged that those parading themselves as the executives and leadership of the party in the State were also not elected at a congress monitored by INEC.
The former Petroleum Minister, who was flanked by the immediate past National Caretaker Secretary of the party, Senator John James Akpanudoedehe and former House of Representatives member, Mrs. Iquo Inyang described the recently conducted governorship primaries in Akwa Ibom as inconsistent with the provision of Section 84 (1) of the Electoral Act.
He thereby appealed to the leadership of the party to intervene and have the situation redressed by directing the conduct of proper governorship primaries in line with Section 84 (1) of the Electoral Act.
He thereby appealed to the leadership of the party to intervene and have the situation redressed by directing the conduct of proper governorship primaries in line with Section 84 (1) of the Electoral Act.
He warned that the party in Akwa Ibom state may not be in the position to present any validly nominated candidate in Akwa Ibom State unless the issues are redressed immediately.
“We hasten to warn, that the Akwa Ibom State challenge of using delegates that were not voted for, in line with the extant Electoral Laws if not addressed, the same delegates may be used for the Presidential primaries.
“Surely if that happens, then the Presidential primaries run a risk of not producing a validly nominated candidate in line with the Electoral Laws, this should not happen. We fail to see what anyone stands to gain should this fate befall our great Party in Akwa Ibom State”, he stated.
