Members of the Imo APC Restoration Coalition on Saturday boycotted the rescheduled Imo All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship primary election, leaving Ugwumba Uche Nwosu as the only aspirant for the election.
The primary election was postponed following the claims of victory by both the coalition and Governor Rochas Okorocha in the botched October 2 exercise.
The National Working Committee (NWC) had cancelled the election as a result of a division among members of the Ahmed Gulak-led electoral panel and clandestine announcement of the results by both parties.
While Gulak as chairman of the committee had returned Senator Hope Uzodinma as the winner, eight members of the panel led by the Secretary, Honestly Henry Idahagbon, had announced Nwosu as the winner.
The confusion led to the cancellation of the two results and the appointment of Ibrahim Agbabiaka as the new chairman.
However the coalition said they were not part of the exercise. This was after six of the nine aspirants led by the Deputy Governor, Eze Madumere, had said that they stood by the results announced by Gulak with Uzodinma as the winner
While giving reasons for their opting out on behalf of the Joint Coalition of APC Governorship Aspirants in Imo State, the deputy governor, said, “This unanimous resistance not to be part of the charade despite the pressure mounted on them is a clear indication that the people have rejected imposition of unpopular candidate on members of our great party (APC) and the state at large.”
The statement added, “It will interest you to know that six Governorship Aspirants out of the nine that participated in the October 1st, 2018 governorship primary in Imo State came together to affirm the declaration of Senator Hope Uzodinma by the election Committee Chairman, Alhaji Almed Gulak as the authentic winner of the said primary election.
“Following this development, the Joint Coalition of APC Governorship Aspirants (JCAPCGA) in Imo State wish to inform members of APC and the good people of our state in general that every issue of Governorship primary election has been concluded as the name of the Governorship candidate of the party for Imo State has since been forwarded for recognition.
But despite their boycott, the election went on successfully as the Agbabiaka-led committee conducted not only the governorship primaries, but also the National Assembly and State House of Assembly.
