The All Progressives Congress (APC) has opened up on the circumstance that surrounded the replacement of Imo State governor as chairman of the Edo State primary election committee.
Recall that three candidates had emerged from the APC primary election held last Saturday, the development engendered calls for Uzodinma’s sack ahead of yesterday’s primary election.
On Wednesday, the party announced the replacement of Uzodinma with his Cross River state counterpart, Otu Bassey.
However, the party has refuted reports in some media outlets that it sacked Uzodinma.
The APC national publicity secretary, Felix Morka, said Uzodinma was replaced because he was “unavoidably unavailable” to lead the completion of the exercise on Thursday.
Morka made the clarification while addressing a press conference on Thursday in Abuja.
He disclosed that Uzodinma was to be unavailable due to his prior schedule and presentation of a report to the National Economic Council meeting yesterday.
He also debunked claims that party officials received bribes to compromise last Saturday’s primary election in Edo State.
Following the controversy, the NWC held an emergency meeting on Tuesday night in Abuja, where it was resolved that a fresh primary would be conducted yesterday.
Morka said, “We wish to clarify that Governor Uzodinma was neither ‘sacked’ nor ‘dropped’, as has been erroneously reported, but was unavoidably unavailable to lead the completion of the party’s Edo State gubernatorial primary election process due to his prior scheduled attendance of, and presentation of a report at the National Economic Council meeting today, February 22, 2024.
“As a result, His Excellency Bassey Otu, Governor of Cross River State, who was the Deputy Chairman of the Committee, graciously accepted to serve as chairman and to complete the Edo State gubernatorial primary election process.”
Meanwhile, Governor Otu, after meeting with party stakeholders on Thursday at the Lushville Hotel in Benin City, said the fresh primary election would go ahead as scheduled. But as of the time of filing this report, the exercise had not been completed
