The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Prof. Nantawe Yilwatda has taken a swipe at some members of the party for accusing him of having manipulated the just concluded primary elections of the party against them.
In a statement by his media aide, Abimbola Tooki, the National Chairman advised those who attempted to become candidates but failed to use the various channels provided by the party to seek redress, instead of using the media to spread falsehood against him.
“Ordinarily, in every democratic contest of this nature, there will always be winners and losers. While the winners celebrate, it is also expected that some of those who did not succeed may feel aggrieved and seek avenues to express their dissatisfaction. That, in itself, is part of the democratic process.
“However, what is unacceptable is the desperate attempt by certain individuals to weaponize falsehood, blackmail and misinformation against my principal simply because the outcome of the exercise did not favour their personal interests and political calculations.
“It is important to clearly state that the National Working Committee (NWC) of our great party has already established a transparent and credible framework through which every aggrieved aspirant can ventilate grievances through duly constituted appeal committees at all levels. The NWC has equally assured all stakeholders that every petition and complaint arising from the primaries will be treated fairly, transparently and strictly on its merit”.
Yilwatda further states that some desperate people instead of allowing the internal mechanisms of the ruling party to function, have decided to engage in media propaganda and character assassination. He insisted that the guidelines released for the exercise spelt out what should be down at every turn of the process.
“Rather than allowing the party’s internal democratic mechanisms to function effectively, some desperate elements have chosen the path of media propaganda and character assassination. Their intention is obvious: to discredit the process, create unnecessary tension within the party and unjustly malign my principal before the conclusion of the appeal process.
“For the avoidance of doubt, the guidelines issued for the conduct of the primaries were very clear and unambiguous. Results from the various levels were to be collated appropriately, while the formal declaration of winners would only come after the appeal processes have been concluded. This procedure was deliberately designed to protect fairness, guarantee transparency and give every dissatisfied aspirant the constitutional right to seek redress before the relevant appeal committees.
“The appeal committees, working together with the NWC, are expected to painstakingly review all petitions before final decisions are taken. This is in line with the party’s commitment to justice, inclusiveness and internal democracy.
“Sadly, some individuals who neither believe in democratic principles nor respect party supremacy are uncomfortable with due process. Their preference is to forcefully impose their preferred candidates on the people at all cost, regardless of laid down rules, party regulations and the collective interest of members.
“It must therefore be stressed that the current media attacks against my principal are not driven by patriotism, fairness or concern for democracy. They are merely reactions from individuals who are unwilling to subject themselves to the established procedures and internal mechanisms of the party.
“I considered it necessary to bring the true position of matters to your attention so that you will not be misled by the false narratives and distorted impressions being circulated in certain quarters”, he added.
It could be recalled that several aspirants who participated in the primary elections across the country have been crying out over alleged manipulation of the process to favour some people favoured by the powers that be in the party.
