The National Working Committee’s panel of the All Progressives Congress conducting the governorship primary election in Lagos State on Tuesday has warned that, contrary to some claims in certain quarters, voting has yet to commence.
The committee said it had been in a crucial meeting with key stakeholders, after which the primary poll would officially commence.
The chairman of the panel, Mr. Clement Ebri, in a telephone conversation with our correspondent, said the panel had been in a crucial meeting with the chairman of the APC in Lagos, agents of the two contenders in the primary election – Governor Akinwumi Ambode and Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu — and other stakeholders.
He explained that the essence of the meeting was to clear some grey areas and agree on the guidelines for the primary elections, as directed by the national leadership of the party.
When alerted about the viral videos of the primary election purportedly ongoing, with Sanwo-Olu allegedly leading the poll, Ebri said the primary election had yet to begin as of the time of filing this report.
He said, “The primary election hasn’t started. We are in a meeting with the party chairman in Lagos and the agents of the two contenders in the primary election.
“There are grey areas to be ironed out. We want to organise a free, fair and transparent primary election and that is why this meeting is very crucial.
“It is after we have settled the grey areas and address all the stakeholders’ concerns that we will send people out from here to conduct the primary.”
Ebri said any election purportedly carried out in any ward in the state earlier today is null and void as the stakeholders had yet to agree on important guidelines for the primary election.
On whether only party members with identity cards would be allowed to vote in the primary election, Ebri said no.
He explained that all the members in the register provided by the National Working Committee of the party would be eligible to participate in the election.
“This is one of the issues I discussed with our national chairman. All members whose names are in the register from the National headquarters will be eligible to vote. Whether they have the party identity cards or slips, they are eligible to vote. However, the slips must be genuine and not fake.”
Ebri advised party supporters, residents and other stakeholders to be wary of fake elections results being peddled on the social media.
The Punch
