The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has resolved to institute a probe into its “poor performance” in the February 23 Presidential and March 9 Governorship and State House of Assembly elections in the South-East region. Particularly of interest are Anambra and Abia States.
In Anambra, Igbere TV gathered that the APC had set up a fact-finding committee to investigate the reason for the poor performance of President Muhammadu Buhari in the presidential poll.
The Acting State Chairman of the party, Basil Ejidike, while inaugurating a 13-man committee for the purpose, said the panel would investigate the role of every stakeholder in the state in the election and recommend appropriate sanctions.
Sources told Igbere TV that the President was particular about Anambra owing to his perceived popularity in the state, coupled with the support from the state governor, Willie Obiano.
According to our source, the President said it was not possible for him to have lost the poll or even perform poorly owing to his wide acceptance in Anambra.
It will be recalled that Buhari polled about 33,000 votes in the presidential election in the state, while his opponent of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar, scored no fewer than 500,000 votes.
Igbere TV recalls that the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige had, shortly after the poll, threatened to sue the Independent National Electoral Commission, stating that the commission’s results were not the true reflection of the party’s performance in the poll.
Similarly, the APC has resolved to call up forms EC8A, EC8B, EC8C, EC8D, card readers and ballot papers used for the last governorship election in Abia state, for forensic test.
Igbere TV gathered Monday night that President Buhari has since expressed worries and concern as to what truly transpired during the guber poll in the state.
Our source who pleaded anonymity, revealed that a meeting was held in the Presidential Villa over the weekend between the APC National Leader, Bola Ahmed Tinubu and National Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole.
While in the meeting, it was said that reports came revealing how the Governor of Abia, Okezie Ikpeazu spent over N15billion of tax payers money in chasing his re-election bid.
It was gathered that one Mr. Uche (not real name) brought the governor to the new Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, whom the governor was alleged to have struck a deal with worth $500,000.
The governor was said to have made an advance payment of $200,000, with a promise to pay the balance towards his inauguration in May 29.
Investigation on how some of the monies were shared amongst staff of the villa to ensure the APC lost out, Igbere TV learnt, surfaced during the course of the meeting which made the President very furious.
Our source also revealed that the National Chairman of the party told the President and Bola Tinubu that most of the APC leaders in Abia South, were alleged to have collected bribes from the governor to look away on the election day, because they come from the same zone and wanted him to win a second term, not minding his poor performance in the state.
At the end of the meeting, it was resolved that the INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmoud Yakubu, should be invited for a meeting and that foreign forensic experts should be brought in to examine the electoral materials used in Abia for the last gubernatorial election.
More to come…
