2023 Guber Polls: Observers Laud Kogi APC Primary As Credible, Fair
- A coalition of observer groups has commended the conduct of party members at the Friday, April 14, governorship primary by the All Progressives Congress
- The observers said it would be important for other political parties to adopt the template used by the ruling party in the conduct of the pol;
- According to the observers, the primary election which saw the emergence of Usman Ododo and the APC's governorship candidate in Kogi state was free and fair
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A group of over 500 independent observers has rated the direct primary elections conducted by the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kogi State to be free, fair, and credible.
The Coalition of Independent Election Observers which made this known in a report described the exercise as a reference point in the conduct of primaries in the country.
A former auditor general for Local Governments in the state, Usman Ododo, defeated six other aspirants to emerge as the party's flagbearer for the November 11, elections.
Source: Twitter
In its report made public at a press conference on Monday, April 17, in Abuja, the independent observers commended the APC for a seamless and rancour-free exercise.
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The coalition said the ruling party has demonstrated incredible unity under Governor Yahaya Bello and has set the bar so high - such that other political parties may never attain.
While admitting a few logistics-related issues along the way, the group noted that its team of observers deployed across the state inferred that no party member was disenfranchised.
The observers also debunked the claim that Governor Bello foisted his kinsman on the electorates as baseless, especially in a direct primary.
It said:
"The APC Gubernatorial primaries in Kogi State can be described as a seamless and rancor-free exercise that produced a former Auditor General for Local Governments in Kogi State, Ahmed Usman Ododo, the winner," the report signed by Hon. Peter Obut,
"It was also observed that the APC in Kogi state is formidable and a united party with stakeholders working assiduously in the interest of the party and the state. The insinuation that the party was left fragmented after the withdrawal of some aspirants on the eve of the election could not be substantiated as no evidence suggested such"
The coalition also commending the conduct of the primaries across the state as orderly and without any hitches said there were no recorded cases of intimidation or suppression by the APC-controlled state government.
It also observed that the leadership of Governor Yahaya Bello had placed the APC in good stead across the three senatorial zones in the state.
It added:
"The Coalition of Independent Election Observers places on record the efforts at ensuring a level playing field for all the aspirants in the Kogi APC gubernatorial primaries was indeed commendable. The Governor of Kogi state, throughout the conduct of the primaries, ensured that all eligible voters exercised their rights to vote without fear or favour.
"The direct mode of primaries comes highly recommended due to the Kogi state example that ensured a free, fair, and transparent process. It was also responsible for the peaceful outcome of the primaries that produced Alhaji Ahmed Usman Ododo as the winner.
"The Coalition of Independent Election Observers in Kogi concludes that the Kogi State APC Gubernatorial Primaries serve as a reference point in the conduct of primaries in the country. The direct mode of primaries embraced ensured that all the aspirants' aspirations were tested and endorsed by their immediate constituents.
"It is safe to say that the process that produced Alhaji Ahmed Usman Ododo was transparent and credible. The Coalition of Independent Election Observers highly recommends the Kogi State example in conducting gubernatorial primaries nationwide."
Kogi guber elections: Accept defeat like true democrats": APC caucus tells Adeyemi, Ajaka, others
Top members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) have called on those who lost in the party's governorship primary in Kogi state to accept defeat.
The caucus in a message on Saturday, April 15, called on a Kogi state lawmaker, Smart Adeyemi, to act like a true democrat.
According to the party members, contenders must understand that they should demonstrate a genuine spirit of sportsmanship by accepting the results.
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The senator also made a similar call to Abdullahi Adamu, the APC national chairman and the national working committee of the party.
Earlier on Friday, before the election, about six governorship aspirants of the APC stepped down for Ododo following his endorsement by Governor Yahaya Bello of the Kogi.
The endorsement was also witnessed by the chairman of the electoral committee, Governor Bello Matawalle of Zamfara state.
Source: Legit.ng
