Lawmakers elected on the platform of the ruling All Progressives Congress APC in the lower chamber of National Assembly have cried out about the irregularities and maltreatment meted out to them over the just concluded primary election of the party.
In a motion of urgent public importance Hon. Abubakar Chika Adamu (Niger, APC) lambasted the ruling party for what he called lack of internal democracy in the conduct of the party primary.
Adamu in his debate on the motion lamented the lack of internal democracy in the conduct of the APC primary election in Rafinya/Shiroro/Munya Federal Constituency of Niger State which he represents at the green chamber of the National Assembly.
The lawmaker said that the the party primary was full of irregularities and manipulations and accused the party leadership of bias.
He further accused the party of orchestrating a scam and lamented that party nomination forms were too exorbitant and outrageous.
According to the lawmaker, the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC abdicated its responsibility during the primary election as the supervisor of political parties in as provided for in Sec 7 of the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended).
He further expressed displeasure over the conduct of some state governors who were hell bent on installation of their stooges as governor inspite of clear provisions of the party’s constitution.
He also hinted that there were cases of violent attack on innocent citizens by thugs and party agents during the primary election in his state.
The APC lawmaker therefore asked the House to set up an Ad-hoc Committee to investigate the matter and have a report on the party primary.
Speaking in support, Hon.Adekunle Akinlade (Ogun, APC) who contested the governorship ticket of the party in his state and lost said that the party shortchanged so many of its members during the exercise.
He stated that he clearly won the Ogun State APC governorship primary but the APC party leadership decided to share the position to other contenders for the ticket.
Also in his contributions, Hon. Muhammad Soba (Kaduna, APC) said that he felt shortchanged during the party primary in APC his former party and added that the forms were too exorbitant.
Even PDP lawmakers as Hon. Nnenna Ukeje (Abia, PDP), Hon. Sergius Ogun (Edo, PDP) and some other lawmakers expressed displeasure over the conduct of the primary elections of their own party. However they hailed the embittered APC lawmaker as he spoke on his own case shouting: “fire on, fire on”.
The final heat came from Prof.Mojeed Alabi (Osun,APC) a professor of Political Science who stated that the the conduct of the APC primary is faulty and added that political parties by their formation and orientation are oligarchic in nature.
Consequently, the Speaker Hon. Yakubu Dogara who presided the session threw the matter to vote and it was overwhelmingly voted for.
Dogara thereafter constituted the Ad-hoc Committee and named Hon.Edward Pwajork (Plateau, APC) as Chairman. Other members include Hon Olayounu Tope (Kwara, APC) and Hon. Baballe Bashir (Kano, APC) among others.