Mr. Kola Ologbodinya, a member of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), has weighed in on some of the issues emanating from the conduct of the just-concluded presidential primary of the party, news.ng reports.
Ologbodinya, a former National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), said the issue of manipulation is alien to the party, expressing confidence that the matters will be resolved internally within the party.
He said: “The issue of manipulation is, is strange, but I believe that the leaders of the party will manage all issues that are arising, and I also believe that the party has a machinery through which it can resolve its internal matters. I would not want to enter into or discuss the issue of allegations, you know, wherever it’s coming from and in whichever way. But I believe that that is left for the leadership of the party to work on.”
This is as one of the party’s presidential aspirants, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, complained about the conduct of the exercise on Tuesday, claiming that members of the party were disenfranchised.
According to the former Rivers State Governor, he will not accept the outcome of the exercise because the results being announced were manipulated.
“I will not accept results from a process that does not reflect the values that the ADC had pledged to uphold, to rescue Nigerians from the impunity and gross mismanagement that our country is currently facing in the hands of the ruling party,” Amaechi said in part of a statement he posted on X on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, Ologbodinya, in an interview with Charles Anyagolu on Arise Television on Wednesday night, urged aggrieved members of the party to provide proof of their allegations to the appeal committee set up by the party.
“I think that allegations cannot just come without proofs, and the party has already considered an appeal committee. If there are provable allegations, they go to the committee, to the appeal committee, and where there is none, whichever, whatever happened, declaration will be made, and thereafter, we’ll listen to those issues,” he noted.
According to him, despite the cost implications and the logistical hiccups the party encountered in conducting direct primaries across 8,890 wards in the country, the ADC has been able to prove a point that it can handle the exercise, noting that the party was able to comply with the laid-down regulations of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
“But to be honest, direct primary, difficult as it is in terms of logistics for political parties, because even INEC that has funding, that has government behind it also encounter logistical problems in conducting general election. And as you must understand, direct primary in 8,890 wards in the country is a huge logistical issue. But be that as it may, I think that the ADC has proudly, very, very proudly showcased its capacity to deliver on this.
“We must agree to the fact that what is required is substantial compliance. You cannot get it in terms of 100 percent. So, what you need is substantial compliance. And once there is substantial compliance, I think generality of the people will accept the result, and I believe the party is on that wavelength.”
Watch the clip
Kenneth Afor
Mr. Kola Ologbodinya, a member of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) has weighed into some of the issues emanating from the conduct of the just concluded presidential primary of the party, news.ng reports.
Ologbodinya, a former National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) said the issue of manipulation is alien expressing confidence that the matters will be resolved internally within the party.
He said: “The issue of manipulation is, is strange, but I believe that the leaders of the party will manage all issues that are arising, and I also believe that the party has a machinery through which it can resolve its internal matters. I would not want to enter into or discuss the issue of allegations, you know, wherever it’s coming from and in whichever way. But I believe that that is left for the leadership of the party to work on.”
This is as one of the party’s presidential aspirants, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi complained about the conduct of the exercise on Tuesday claiming that members of the party were disenfranchised.
According to the former Rivers State Governor, he will not accept the outcome of the exercise because the results being announced were manipulated.
“I will not accept results from a process that does not reflect the values that the ADC had pledged to uphold, to rescue Nigerians from the impunity and gross mismanagement that our country is currently facing in the hands of the ruling party,” Amaechi said in part of his statement he posted on X Tuesday.
Meanwhile, Ologbodinya in an interview with Charles Anyagolu on Arise Television on Wednesday night urged aggrieved members of the party to provide proofs of their allegations to the appeal committee set up by the party.
“I think that allegations cannot just come without proofs, and the party has already considered an appeal committee. If there are provable allegations, they go to the committee, to the appeal committee, and where there is none, whichever, whatever happened, declaration will be made, and thereafter, we’ll listen to those issues,” he noted.
According to him, despite the cost implications and the logistical hiccups the party encountered in conducting direct primary across 8,890 wards in the country, the ADC has been able to prove a point that it can handle the exercise, noting that the party was able to comply with the laid down regulations by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
But to be honest, direct primary, difficult as it is in terms of logistics for political parties, because even INEC that has funding, that has government behind it also encounter logistical problems in conducting general election. And as you must understand, direct primary in 8,890 wards in the country is a huge logistical issue. But be that as it may, I think that the ADC has proudly, very, very proudly showcased its capacity to deliver on this.
“We must agree to the fact that what is required is substantial compliance. You cannot get it in terms of hundred percentage. So, what you need is substantial compliance. And once there is substantial compliance, I think generality of the people will accept the result, and I believe the party is on that wavelength.”
Watch the clip
