The All Progressives Congress primary election in Nkwerre, Isu, Njaba and Nwangele Federal Constituency of Imo State is generating controversy as women and youth protest imposition of candidate, insisting that Queen Chinyere Opurum remains their preferred choice for the House of Representatives election
By Jude Nzennaya,
Port Harcourt
The Women and youth wing of the All Progressives Congress (APC) are protesting what they described as perceived irregularities and selection of a candidate against their preferred candidate in the just concluded primary election for the Nkwerre, Isu, Njaba and Nwangele Federal Constituency of Imo State.
The groups who came out in their numbers took their turns to address journalists to vent their grievances against the selection of a candidate who they did not vote and who never even contested the primary elections for constituency.
Armed with several placards with the following inscriptions, “There Was Never An Election”, “No Electoral Materials”, “No Officials”, “We Reject Imposition of a Candidate Who Is Not Our Choice”; “Queen Chinyere Tim Opurum Remains Our Choice”, “We Say No To Another Candidate”, “The APC National Working Committee (NWC) Should Come To Our Rescue Now”, “We Say No to the Marginalization of Women in Our Constituency” and “Is the APC Primaries By Election Or Selection”? among others to show their grievances.
While responding to questions, some women however informed Tentacle that their annoyance stemmed from the fact that they came out on the primary election day in the wards in Nkwerre, Isu, Njaba and Nwangele Constituency as requested by the APC National Working Committee for the primaries, but were disappointed because there were neither electoral materials, nor electoral officers to conduct the exercise.
They maintained that no primary election was held in any of the wards and wondered how Chief Cosmas Maduba emerged and was announced the winner.
They also insisted that they want to know how Chief Maduba won the purported election in which the incumbent House of Representatives member, Barrister Harrison Nwadike and Queen Chinyere Tim Opurum, their choice contested.
Speaking on behalf of the women, an APC women leader in Nwangele, Mrs. Chika Obiako, expressed her displeasure in particular and that of the women in the entire constituency over what she described as unofficial primary elections where there were no materials or APC electoral officials visible in any of the wards in Nkwerre, Isu, Njaba and Nwangele Federal Constituency and called on the NWC to look into the emergence of a candidate when there was no primary election anywhere.
Also speaking, another APC stakeholder who chose not to be mentioned, also maintained that no primary elections was held in any of the wards in the constituency.
He said he and other members of the party were worried and confused about how Maduba was announced as the winner without the people’s consensus and cautioned the APC National Working Committee of the dangers of imposition of leadership positions on the people, especially in Igbo land which is a taboo because it could trigger unrest and chaos in Imo communities and beyond.
He condemned the marginalization and suppression of candidates, especially the women folk in the constituency and advised the state APC and NWC to look critically into the matters arising over the emergence of Chief Maduba as the winner of the primary elections, which he described as ‘illegal and unacceptable.’
He also pointed out the necessity of observing the 35 affirmative accord, affirming that if the primaries were to be held in a transparent and credible manner, Queen Chinyere Tim Opurum would emerge as the APC candidate for the House of Representatives as she remains the people’s choice for the Nkwerre ISU Njaba and Nwangele Constituency.
