The Rotimi Amaechi camp in the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Imo State has rejected the outcome of the party’s presidential primary.
Naijaonpoint reports that the camp described the exercise, which declared former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar the winner, as a “sham.”
Speaking with journalists in Owerri on Tuesday, the Orlu Zonal Coordinator of the Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi Imo State Campaign Structure and Convener of the Movement for Amaechi’s Presidency, Chigozie Alex, alleged that no primary election was held in many parts of the state.
Alex claimed that registered ADC members who came out to vote were turned away because election officials and materials were not available.
He said, “No elections were held in the majority of wards across the state. Registered ADC members who came out to vote were turned away because there were no officials, no materials, and no polling units.
“Where any activity took place, our accredited agents were not given the locations. They were kept in the dark while a secret process was conducted without their presence.”
The Amaechi camp also alleged that the returning officers used for the exercise had been compromised.
Alex said, “The returning officers for this so-called primary were the party’s LGA chairmen and House of Assembly aspirants, the same individuals who have been compromised by agents of a rival candidate. This is a fundamental violation of electoral integrity.
“What we witnessed was not a direct primary. It was a secret selection. The party, in connivance with agents of Atiku Abubakar, moved to hidden locations and conducted the entire process without our agents, without our members, and without any regard for the ADC constitution or the Electoral Act.”
Alex called on the ADC national leadership to cancel the result and conduct a fresh primary across all wards in the state.
He said, “We call on the national leadership of the ADC to cancel the sham primary conducted in Imo State, conduct a fresh, transparent, and inclusive direct primary across all wards, and ensure that our accredited agents are given full access to every polling location.
“Anything short of this is an assault on democracy and the will of our members.”
However, the ADC declared Atiku the winner of the presidential primary in Imo State.
The Chairman of the ADC National Presidential Primary Electoral Panel for Imo State, Eko Atu, announced the result on Tuesday.
Atu said Atiku recorded victory across the 305 political wards and 27 local government areas of the state.
According to him, Atiku polled 52,200 votes, while Amaechi scored 7,659 votes, placing second. Mohammed Hayatu-Deen came third with 1,121 votes.
