MORE PROTESTS TRAIL RESULTS OF ACN PRIMARIES IN ANAMBRA
CONTROVERSY trailing the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) primaries in Anambra State took a dramatic turn when scores of ward chairmen from Ekwusigo Council Area carried their protests to the party headquarters on Zik Avenue, Awka, the state capital.
The protesting ward chairmen heavily denounced the party's hierarchy, alleging that the authentic and certified results in which two aspirants, Senator Ikechukwu Obiora and C.I.D Maduabum, won their seats to represent Anambra-South senatorial zone and House of Representatives for Nnewi North, South and Ekwusigo Constituency respectively, were later voided and substituted by Chris Atuegwu and Ben Chuks Nwosu.
The chairman of all chairmen in the council area, Mr. Isaac Nebedum and the youth leader, Dennis Onuchukwu, said both Nwosu and Atuegwu lost at the party's primaries held January on 12, in Ekwusigo Council.
Nebedum alleged that members of the executive council in the state were working against the ACN's principles of justice, peace and prosperity for all, as well as the interest of ACN in the April general elections.
He alleged that some party stalwarts hijacked the result sheet on their way to the collection centre and ran away, adding that they used the opportunity to rewrite the results to favour their own candidates.
Nebedum further presented copies of the letter addressed to the state chairman of ACN and result sheets to journalists which reads: 'The attached results were collated from ward results submitted by ward returning officers in the presence of SS, NEC officials, DPO Mr. Ezekiel and council returning officer, Chike Udefuna.
'It is vividly clear that Senator Ikechukwu Obiora, C.I.D Maduabum and Dr. Odili Ojukwu emerged winners', the letter titled, 'ACN results of party primaries: Ekwusigo Council Area - candidates' scores,' said.
The result sheets made available to The Guardian show that Ikechukwu polled 757 votes to beat Atuegwu who scored 138 votes, while Maduabum netted 740 votes to defeat Nwosu who recorded 147 votes.
Efforts to reach the state chairman of ACN, Amenchi Obidike, failed as he was said to have left his office a few minutes before the protesters arrived.
After about a week of consultation, the ACN in Benue State has presented its governorship candidate, Prof. Steve Ugbah, to the people.
Also presented by the party at the ceremony in Makurdi yesterday were its three senatorial candidates for the 2011 polls that included Senator Joseph Akaagerger, who is the Benue North-East candidate; Senator George Akume for Benue North-West and Gen. Lawrence Onoja for Benue-South.
For the House of Representatives seats, incumbent member representing Logo/Katsina Ala/Ukum Federal Constituency, Mzenda Iho, would fly the flag of the party; Orker Jev, a current member representing Buruku Federal Constituency, is the candidate of the ACN.
Other candidates for the remaining nine federal constituencies of the state are mainly defectors from the ruling PDP in Benue State. One prominent candidate is the immediate past Security Adviser to Governor Suswam, Col. Benjamin Abohol, who is the ACN candidate for Kwande/Ushongo Federal Constituency.
For the state Assembly constituencies, out of the 29 candidates, two are serving members of the Benue State House of Assembly who defected after the primaries.