APC Presidential candidate may emerge September 19

Party accuses INEC of leaking official correspondences

Barely any last minute changes, the Presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) will be known on 19th September after the presidential primary to elect the candidate either through direct or indirect primary.

But the APC is accusing the Independent National Electoral Commission of leaking it’s official correspondence to the media, pointing out that the dates on the letter to INEC were not tentative as they will have to be approved by the party NEC first.

In a letter to the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission dated 17th August and received at the commission on the same day, National Chairman of the party, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole informed the commission that the governorship primaries of the party will be conducted on Monday, 24th September.

Similarly, the primaries to elect candidates for the House of Representatives will hold September 19, while the primaries for the Senatorial and state Assembly will hold on the 20th and 29th September respectively.

Oshiomhole said “this serves as a forma, notification pursuant to the provisions of section 85 of the Electoral Acts 2010 as amended.Kindly arrange for your officials to monitor the exercise accordingly”.

Acting National Publicity Secretary of the party, Yekini Nabena said in a statement that INEC should look into its internal handling of official correspondence and out a stop to the leakages.

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Nabena said the National Executive Committee of the party need to approve the time table for it became authentic and asked Nigerians and the Media to wait for an official announcement from the party as the leaked dates are subject to changes if necessary.

Nabena said “our attention has been drawn to a leaked letter the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Adams Oshiomhole wrote to the Chairman, Independent National Electoral Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu informing the Commission of the schedule of the Congresses and Primaries to elect Party candidates for the 2019 General Elections.

“These leaks of our sensitive and confidential correspondence to INEC is becoming commonplace and totally unacceptable. We strongly request that INEC looks into its internal handling of official correspondence and put a stop to these leaks.

“While the leaked formal notification to INEC has been done by the APC pursuant to the provisions of Section 85 of the 2010 Electoral Act (as amended), we advise the general public particularly the media to wait for an official announcement from the Party as the leaked dates are subject to changes, if necessary.”

It was learnt that the party is planning to hold its NEC meeting on Wednesday, 29th August to approve the party Programme for the 2019 general elections, including whether to use direct or indirect primaries for the selection of it’s candidates as well as fresh membership registration.

 

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