Protests had greeted the just concluded councillorship and chairmanship primaries of the All Progressives Congress in Rivers State. Our political correspondent who monitored the conduct of the primaries on Monday and Tuesday reported that, in most local government areas the primary elections did not take place.
Voting materials were hijacked by some aspirants and their supporters. In Bonny Local Government Area comes a report that, the APC secretariat in the area has been vandalized. The party flags were not spared as aggrieved members torn them to pieces.
Party members and faithful alleged that voting materials for the primaries were hijacked by the Commissioner for Transport, Mr. George Tolofari.
Our Bonny LGA correspondent reported that party supporters protested calling for the cancellation of the chairmanship primaries, describing it as a “sham”.
In Obio/Akpor and Ikwerre Local Government Areas, we gathered that party chiefs exchanged hot blows over who is to be incharge of the voting material, Chimbiko Akarolo and Dickson Wobo of Port Harcourt City Local Government Area staged a very hot protest against Nnamdi Wuche, the PHALGA CTC chairman, for allegedly hijacking the voting materials.
On Tuesday, voting materials for the conduct of the councillorship primaries did not get to Buguma, headquarters of the Asari-Toru Local Government Area. The materials were forcefully taken from the party office in Port Harcourt to unknown destination. Party members protested and rained abuses on some leaders of the party in the area.
Several party members are now calling for the cancellation of the primaries. They observed that the conduct of the said primaries does not follow the laid rules and constitution of the party. ###
