PROTESTING ACN MEMBERS ASK NGIGE TO RESPECT DEMOCRACY

NO fewer than 500 protesting members of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) from Nnewi-South Council Area of Anambra State have called on the leader of the party in the state, Chris Ngige, to respect the party's democracy and justice.

Condemning the results of primaries held on January 12, the irate men and women who chanted solidarity songs, converged at the ACN headquarters in Awka, alleging that the circulated results of the primaries from Nnewi-South did not reflect the true result signed by the 20 ward chairmen and agents.

Spokesman of the group, Mr. Fabian Umeh, who is the party's secretary in Nnewi Council, wondered why the party leadership in Anambra doctored and reversed results where losers became winners, insisting that they conducted a peaceful and well-articulated primary.

A letter addressed to Ngige, said: 'From our collated results, C.I.D Maduabum had a total of 1,998 votes, Ben Chuks Nwosu 318 for the House of Representatives, while Ikechukwu Obiora garnered 1,985 and Chris Atuegwu got 350 votes for the Anambra senatorial zone'.

The letter signed by 18 ward chairmen from the council added: 'C.I.D. Maduabum and Senator Ikechukwu Obiora were the elected candidates from the above result. It was collated and declared by the council electoral returning officer in the presence of the DPO Ukpor Police Station, the SSS and INEC council officer with video coverage'.

Meanwhile, the candidate of ACN for the Owo/Ose Federal Constituency of Ondo State, Olufemi Omosuwa, has threatened legal action if his candidature is withdrawn by the leadership of the party in the state.

It was rumoured that Omosuwa, who was affirmed by the delegates at a convention held in Akure on January 11, in the same manner that other candidates like Dr. Olu Agunloye were picked, was about to be replaced by Olufemi Adekanbi who lost out in the Labour Party (LP) and joined the ACN three days after the primary election.

Speaking with The Guardian on Monday, Omosuwa said he has no cause to think that the ACN leadership would act in accordance with the rumor 'because we are a disciplined party and we believe in justice and democracy. I am already on the field campaigning for the general elections. The issue of primary in the ACN is a foreclosed one'.

He added: 'There are laid down procedures before a candidate is picked. You must be a party man that participated in the contest. There is no way a non-contestant would get a ticket that he did not vie for. That is an aberration'.