Loyalists of the former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, in the African Democratic Congress in Imo State, have described the outcome of the party’s presidential primary election, which declared ex-Vice President Atiku Abubakar the winner, as a secret selection rather than a direct primary.
Naijaonpoint reports that the Chairman of the ADC National Presidential Primary Electoral Panel for Imo State, Eko Atu, who announced the result on Tuesday, said Atiku recorded an overwhelming victory across the 305 political wards and 27 local government areas of the state.
Atu said Atiku polled 52,200 votes, while Amaechi scored 7,659 votes, and Mohammed Hayatudeen polled 1,121 votes to come third.
However, speaking to 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, said no primary election was held in the state.
Amechi’s camp alleged that agents of a rival candidate had compromised the returning officers for the primary.
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 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.
“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.”
