The Anambra All Progressives Congress Stakeholders Forum (AASF) has rejected alleged attempts to impose indirect primaries to elect the party’s governorship flagbearer in the state.
In its timetable released ahead of the Anambra governorship election, the APC has scheduled the congress to elect delegates for April 2 and the primary election on April 5 to decide its flag bearer.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has fixed November 8 to conduct the governorship election.
Speaking at a press conference in Abuja on Monday, Hycinth Okonkwo, convener of the group, alleged that a certain governorship aspirant is attempting to manipulate the national working committee (NWC) of the APC to subvert the process.
Okonkwo warned that the APC must not become a party where money dictates leadership, emphasising that “integrity, competence, and the will of the people must always prevail.”
“We have received credible intelligence that a certain governorship aspirant within our party has attempted to subvert internal democracy in a bid to impose indirect primaries for the forthcoming gubernatorial elections in Anambra state,” he said.
“This desperate move is aimed at rigging the process in his favour, manipulating party structures, and denying the people of Anambra the opportunity to choose their candidate freely and fairly.
“This individual has boasted openly that the APC NWC is now on his side due to the illicit funds he has deployed. That the National Chairman will not conduct any delegate election but will use his delegate list to deliver him as the governorship candidate of APC.
“The Anambra APC Stakeholders Forum categorically rejects these criminal tendencies and will not allow the soul of our party to be sold to the highest bidder.
“We insist that such an aspirant should be disqualified immediately from the race, as his actions are a direct affront to the integrity of the APC and the democratic principles that our great party stands for.”
Okonkwo called on the APC national leadership, President Bola Tinubu, and party members to resist any attempt to undermine democracy and ensure a transparent primary in Anambra through direct or consensus means.
He urged all aspirants to engage in issue-based campaigns rather than resorting to “criminal acts of bribery and electoral fraud.”