Rivers APC primaries: What Amaechi did to me – Lulu-Briggs
A governorship aspirant on the platform of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Rivers State, Chief Dumo Lulu-Briggs, has accused the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, of imposing his preferred aspirant, Tonye Cole, on the party.
Cole emerged the candidate of the party after an indirect primary was conducted in the state on Saturday.
Lulu-Briggs also claimed that certain persons were handpicked from various wards as delegates to the primary in breach of the party’s constitution and guidelines.
He explained that names were added and deleted from the delegates’ list and that the Minister did not allow him access to the delegates.
He said, “When the NWC reached the decision that indirect primaries be adopted for the governorship primary in Rivers, as a loyal party man, I accepted the decision in good faith despite the fact that there are pending litigations in various courts, which might vitiate and truncate the process.
“I thus ramped up my campaign, but soon discovered that our party structures from the state executive committee, local government and ward excos across the state have been directed by Rotimi Amaechi, leader of our party in the state, not to allow me access to our party faithful and delegates, but to only support the aspiration of his preferred aspirant, Tonye Cole.
“It is clear from the foregoing that the minimum standards to guarantee a free and fair primary today (Sunday) are nonexistent and any primary held today will be a mere sham and a perfidious travesty.
“To this end, I, Chief Dumo Lulu-Briggs, most graciously appeal to the National Chairman of our great party and the NWC to, as a matter of utmost urgency, postpone the governorship primary for Rivers State so as to correct the anomalies herein complained of because the current arrangement falls short of the minimum standards stipulated by the Electoral Act and our party constitution.”
