A former Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mike Aondoakaa, has expressed displeasure at the conduct of the governorship primary election of the All Progressives Congress(APC) in Benue State, describing it as “kangaroo dance”.

Aondoakaa was among the governorship aspirants who vied for the Benue APC gubernatorial ticket ahead of the 2023 general election.

The primary election, which was held in the state on Friday was won by a suspended priest in the Catholic Diocese of Gboko, Hyacinth Alia.

Alia polled over 7,000 votes to clinch the party’s governorship ticket.

The Benue State chapter of the APC opted for direct primaries to pick its governorship candidate.

However, the former AGF, has alleged that the APC governorship primaries held in the state on Thursday didn’t comply with the Electoral Act and the party’s guidelines.

He said this in a petition to the APC National Chairman of APC, Sen. Abdullahi Adamu.
The petition was issued by Director General of Chief Michael Kaase Aondoakaa Gubernatorial Campaign Organisation, Barr. Dominic Nyam.

It read: “It has become expedient and very urgent to call your attention to the governorship primary election of our great Party, the All Progressive Congress (APC), slated for today Thursday May 26, 2022 with regards to its conduct by the Benue State chapter of the party.

“My principal, Chief Michael Kaase Aondoakaa, SAN is a governorship aspirant in the primary election.

“We wish to draw your attention to the fact that as at the moment, 7:00pm no election-related activity is going on.

“My principal, as an aspirant has not been informed of the status of primary election which we have been duly informed is by indirect process.

“Even as we visited the venue of the election, nothing was happening and only a few confused delegates were seen loitering around with no clear direction.

“An inquiry from fellow governorship aspirants has only deepened the confusion as they are also at a loss as to what was really going on.

“Sir, recall that we were notified of the decision of the National Executive Committee (NEC) of APC to conduct governorship election by indirect Primary (vide letters dated 23rd May, 2022 and 24th May, 2022) to the effect therefore, the delegates were elected between 16th-17th May, 2022 and were properly documented by the Benue State EXCO of the party; the list was forwarded to the party’s headquarters and INEC.

“The party has also made judicious efforts to comply with the relevant laws and regulations on the conduct of indirect primaries, including the party’s internal rules and directives.

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“As we expected that all is set for the conduct of the delegate primary to elect the governorship candidate of the party for 2023 general elections, to the moment, the Benue State EXCo of the party is yet to inform us of what is happening.

“Attempts to seek clarification from the NEC appointed Party’s Election Committee led by Senator Khairat Abdulrazaq-Gwadabe has not yet yielded any result as the Committee saddled with the responsibility of conducting the Benue State Governorship Primaries Election could not be located.

“The situation has given rise to several rumours and created undue tension within the ranks of the party.

“It is rumoured that instead of the planned indirect primary based on delegate election, some elements of the Party claim that they are conducting Direct Primaries.

“If this rumoured illegality is found to be true, it portends grave danger for our Party as it would have failed to give equal opportunity to aspirants including my principal to be voted for by members of our party as envisaged under the indirect primary communicated to our principal.

“This would also fail to comply with extant laws and regulations in the conduct of primaries with the rumoured scenario, our party risks not presenting a governorship candidate for the 2023 general election.

“To this effect therefore, it has become imperative for us to dissociate ourselves, including my principal/governorship aspirant Chief Michael K. Aondoakaa, SAN from this alleged kangaroo dance by the various actors of the Party in Benue State in clear violation of extant regulations guiding the conduct of this primary election.

“Your Excellency, we are seeking your gracious and urgent intervention to guide the Party towards the proper conduct of the indirect primary to elect a governorship candidate for the 2023 general elections as issued by NEC of our party in line with the relevant regulations to this effect.

“Furthermore, we respectfully draw your attention to Regulation 8 of the INEC Guidelines on Conduct of Primary Elections as well as Section 84(a) & (13) of the Electoral Act. 2022, which states thus;

“84(4) A political party that adopts the direct primaries procedure shall ensure that all aspirants are given equal opportunity of being voted for by any members of the party and shall adopt the procedure outlined …” Emphasis supplied.

“84(13) Where a political party fails to comply with the provision of the Act in the conduct of its primaries, its candidate for election shall not be included in the election for the particular position in issue…”

The Star