Imo Primaries: Why We Declared Ararume Winner – Electoral Panel Members

Pat Stephens/

Three members of the Primary Election Committee set up by the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the Imo North Senatorial by-election said that they declared Senator Ifeanyi Ararume winner because the figures from the field on the day of the primaries showed that he actually scored the highest number of votes.

The three members of the Electoral Panel who held this position are Alhaji Umar Nguma, Mohammed Saliu and Prince Ifedi Ejim. They had come to the APC National Secretariat in Abuja where they submitted the report of the Primaries which they conducted in the 64 Wards in Imo Senatorial District. 

Addressing journalists at the APC headquarters, Nguma said it was shocking that people could concoct figures and ask the Primary Election Committee members to sign declaring a certain favoured aspirant winner.

He said that as a good Muslim, he would never collect gratification to endorse falsehood.

His words: “How could we declare somebody who failed winner simply because he was being supported by two powerful people in government?”

Nguma added that it was very clear that Ararume was the choice of the people and that it would be inhuman to deny him victory when he had actually won the primaries based on the figures from the field.

He warned that democracy would be in danger if political parties allowed powerful people to be writing results in hotels and government houses only to turn around to force those saddled with the conduct of elections to append their signatures to fake figures.

Nguma said that he and his two other colleagues had performed the duty assigned to them and that it was up to the Party to take a decision on the way forward.

While the Nguma-led Group announced Senator Ararume winner of the APC Primaries, another set led by Senator Ajibola Bashir declared Frank Ibezim winner. The APC leadership is expected to take a decision on who finally gets the ticket.

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