Former Chief of Staff to Abia State Government, Hon. Mascot Uzor Kalu has been declared winner of the All Progressives Congress (APC) primary for the Aba North /South Federal Constituency by-election.
The peaceful primary election held on Monday evening was conducted at Enitona Hotel Aba
This Newspaper recalls that the Aba North /South Federal Constituency seat has been vacant since the demise of Hon. Ossy Prestige , in January, 2021.
Declaring the results, the Chairman of the electoral Committee, Barr Bisi Idaomi announced that Mascot Uzor Kalu polled 47,825 votes to win the election
This followed with presentation of the flag to Hon. Kalu by state Chairman of the party, Hon. Donatus Nwankpa
The electoral committee chairman also urged the winner to embrace all the stakeholders in order to unite them and win the secondary election slated for March 27, stressing that in APC there is no winner or loser.
Recall that APC screening committee disqualified Dr Nwokeocha Ogbonnaya Eze from contesting today’s primary election of the party
The screening Committee which was inaugurated at the national secretariat, Abuja by the National Secretary , Caretaker /Extraordinary convention planning committee (CECPC) released the results of the screening on Saturday.
The Committee chaired by Hon. Collins Adams screened Hon Mascot Uzor Kalu and Dr Nwokeocha Ogbonnaya Eze as the only two contestants .
Other members of the screening Committee were : Hajiya Maryam Abubakar, Maxwell Akamba, Suleiman Muhammad, Mrs Gladys Agbah, Gift Johnbull and Barr. Aliyu Abdulkadir
In its resolution, the Committee unanimously resolved that Hon. Mascot Uzor Kalu fulfilled all requirements needed to contest the upcoming election while Dr Nwokeocha Ogbonnaya Eze woefully failed to meet up with the requirements of the party to contest the Aba North/South Federal Constituency by-election.
The Committee observed that ;
(i)Dr Nwokeocha Ogbonnaya Eze did not produce verifiable evidence of payment of membership dues which he confessed to the Committee that he has never paid any party membership due which is a clear violation of Article 9.3(i) of the party constitution
(ii) He has multiple membership of several political parties including that of the PDP, as was confessed by him to the members of the Committee, with no record of resigning, as he has failed to provide palpable evidence and record of resignation from his previous political parties
(iii) Aspirant failed to comply with the time schedule as contained in the patty’s guideline, notice /schedule of activities of election
(iv) He purchased Expression of Interest / Nomination Forms on 4th March, 2021 as against the closing date of 3rd March , 2021 and submitted same on 5th March, 2021 thereby falling short of the time schedules
The committee unanimously resolved that the Caretaker /extraordinary convention planning Committee (CECPC) should take a look at the inconsistency in the case of Dr Nwokeocha Ogbonnaya Eze who woefully failed to meet up with the requirements of the party to contest the Aba North/South Federal Constituency by-election.
The Committee therefore submitted that the aspirant is was disqualified from contesting the forthcoming said primary election of the party
