By Okey Maduforo Awka .
As the Anambra state chapter of the All Progressives Congress APC conducts it’s primary election for the Federal House of Representatives tickets , about eight of those aspirants have been expelled from the party and wouldn’t participate in the process.
Recall that at the last State Working Committee meeting of the party , 30 members who filed suits against the party were expelled in line with the Constitution of the party which stipulates that any member who takes the party to Court without exploring all avenues of settlement within the party would be expelled .
According to the State Chairman of the party Sen Emma Anosike the names of the 30 expelled members have been submitted to the National leadership of the party which has already ratified their explosion.
He noted that about 8 out of the 30 expelled members were before now Federal House of Representatives aspirants of the party adding that by the explosion they would not participate in the primary election.
” The constitution of this party says that any member that takes the party to Count would be expelled and about 30 persons have been expelled and we have already communicated to the National leadership of the party about there explosion which they have ratified and as far as we are concerned they are no longer members of this party.”
“Some of them had declared interests and purchased forms for the House of Representatives primary election but going by their explosion they are not going to participate in this primary election”
Anosike further announced that the primary election would be free and fair adding that the era of imposition of candidates are over as according to him the members have the right to choose their candidates.
“The era of imposition of candidates is gone and we going to conduct very credible election and it would be done through option A 4 and we want to use this to show our capacity as a party.”
“The number of people that registered with our party is indeed great and intimidating and we want to use these primary elections to showcase it to the people of Anambra state”
Anosike also explained that the party is adopting option A4 direct primary elections but was quick to add that there some areas that the candidates would be nominated through consensus in view of the agreement reached among the aspirats.
“Yes in Nnewi North we had about six aspirants for the Federal House of Representatives but four stepped down and in Awka North and South we have two and by the day of the election by the grace of God if more people will drop it would be fantastic ” he said.
A run down of the number of aspirants for the House of Representatives shows that about 27 aspirants would participate in the election and before now the number was more than 30 aspirants .
Also speaking the State Publicity Secretary of the party Sir Valentine Ilobi noted that the party would no tolerate any form of lawlessness adding that security operatives are on ground to ensure a peaceful and transparent primary election.
He noted that the essence of conducting the primary elections through a staggered process is to prevent confusions that may arise in the process of holding the Federal House of Representatives, Senate and State Assembly primary elections the same day .
