Kogi primary: Protest rocks APC secretariat

Ahead of today’s conduct of the All Progressives Congress primary to pick its candidate for the November 16 Kogi governorship election,  some of the party faithful stormed its national secretariat on Wednesday in protest against the disqualification of a certain candidate, Babatunde Irukera.

Findings revealed that Irukera was one of the 12 aspirants disqualified by the Senator Hope Uzodimma six-man screening panel.

 The panel premised its stance on the invalid declaration of age, that the aspirant has spent less than one year in the party and without a waiver.

The panel also noted that the aspirant academic credentials and supporting documents were not attached while his nomination form was not duly signed.

But the three-man appeal panel led by  Dr Lawal Samaila Abdulahi Yakawada upturned the decision of the screening panel chaired by Senator Uzodimma and cleared Barrister Irukera.

The Dr Yakawada panel in its report said it cleared the aspirant because it could not reconcile the claim of   Senator Uzodimma panel on lack of supporting documents for his academic credentials with oral and documentary presentations given by the aspirant.

The Dr Yakawada panel submission read in part: “The Committee cannot establish any clear evidence on all matters raised based on his oral and documentary presentations.”

Other members of the appeal panel were Hajiya Fatsuma Talba and Dattuwa Ali Kumo.

The Comrade Adams Oshiomhole led national working committee on Tuesday night however overruled the appeal panel and aligned with the Senator Uzodimma screening panel which earlier disqualified the aspirant.

Members of his group, Kogi Mandate Group, however, staged a protest at the party secretariat in Abuja to express their disaffection over Oshiomhole’s action.

Leader of the group,  Amos Alfa, who spoke on behalf of the group claimed that Barrister Irukera was edged out of the race,  to ensure victory for the incumbent governor, Yahaya Bello.

Alfa further warned that the party could lose Kogi to its main rival,  the Peoples Democratic Party if governor Bello emerged as its standard-bearer.

He said:” Why will such a  thing happen to Irukera? A sitting governor is aware that the only person can unseat him is Babatunde Irukera and that is why he did all he could do to ensure that Babatunde did not feature in the primaries.

“We have a copy of the results from the screening and it was written boldly that Babatunde was cleared. Why won’t he be a participant in the primary? That is why we are here. Justice should be done and ensure that this party doesn’t lose Kogi State to a wrong hand. Babatunde is capable to handle Kogi State to the best Next level.

“Let APC as a body as a whole do justice to ensure that Babatunde is allowed to feature  in the primary.”