The All Progressives Congress (APC) on Tuesday said it would conduct a fresh primary election ahead of the July 14 governorship poll in Ekiti on Friday.
National Publicity Secretary of the party, Malam Bolaji Abudulahi, made this known to newsmen in Abuja.
He said that the decision was taken after the partyยดs leadership had studied the report on last Saturday inconclusive primary submitted by its committee chairman, Gov. Tanko Al-Makura of Nasarawa state.
The primary election was characterised by violence, a development described by Abudullahi asยดยดquite condemnableยดยด.
He disclosed that identified unruly agents that participated in that primary had been disqualified from participating in the rescheduled election as agents.
ยดยดAccordingly, the following individuals are hereby disqualified from participating as agents or partaking in the rescheduled primary in whatever capacity.
ยดยดThey are Ayodeji Omowaye, Rotimi Falaye, Kayode Afolabi, Oladele Ademola Samuel, Oyetunde Ojo, Akintade Olayisade and Temitope Adewumi,ยดยด he said.
Abudullahi said that in the fresh primary election, all agentยดs tags must bear the names of the aspirants they represented and that they would be barred from going to the voting arena with their mobile phones.
He also said that security agents from other states would be mobilised to secure the venue and officials in the rescheduled election.
According to him, henceforth, one person would be appointed subject to the consensus of all aspirants to assist persons with disability and illiterate voters.
ยดยดAll aspirants must not leave their sitting positions unless with the approval of the primary election committee; aspirants would be held liable for the conduct of their agents.
ยดยดThe previous exercise is hereby cancelled and the primary will start afresh at the same venue on Friday, May 11, 2018.
โExisting primary committee is maintained, except the secretary who will now be substituted,ยดยด he said.
He explained that though there was no evidence that the committeeโs secretary compromised in any way, almost all the aspirants complained that he had close relationship with one of the aspirants.
This, Abdullahi said, could compromise the secretaryโs ability to be objective and fair to all concerned.
ยดยดIt is to that extent that we believe that to be on the safer side and to protect the integrity of the process, we should probably excuse him and bring in someone else,ยดยด he stated.
He maintained that all those found culpable, directly or indirectly of disrupting the primary would be punished in accordance with the relevant provisions of the partyยดs Constitution.
The spokesman also said that the partyยดs leadership would look into the allegations that an aspirant bribed some delegates, adding that it would act on the development once a formal report was received.
