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Utomi’s Petition Against Delta APC Governorship Primary Dismissed And Tagged “Overtaken By Event”
The All Progressives Congress (APC) Appeals Panel for the concluded primaries elections of the party has dismissed and tagged “overtaken by event” petition from Prof. Pat Utomi, one of the governorship aspirant in Delta State, BigPen Online can report.
Recalls that the renowned economist, Utomi had threatened to resign his membership of the APC if the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) led by Comrade Adams Oshiomhole fails to treat his petition fairly.
Prof Utomi, who had earlier protested that the delegate lists used for the governorship primary was illegal and the exercise conducted outside the authentic list okay by a court judgement, had said he would send a formal petition to the national leadership of the party to do the right thing, but if it opts to uphold the illegality, “I will quietly resign my membership of the party.”
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“I will petition the appropriate organ of the party, if I go through due process and they fail to do the right thing, if they decide that this is okay by them, then I will quietly resign my membership of the party, become non partisan, but never give up on the fight against obnoxious coup plotters, who plotted against the military, against civilians and against the constitution of the country.
Besides Utomi who lost out in the appeal panel, Ogun State Governor Ibikunle Amosun, former Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Chairman Nuhu Ribadu, Senator Magnus Abe and President Muhammadu Buhari’s wife’s brother are also among the big losers.
Also, Niger Delta Affairs Minister Usani Uguru Usani failed to upturn the outcome of the Cross River State governorship primary.
Mrs Buhari’s brother Mahmoud Halilu (aka Modi) and President of the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) Bala Bobboi Kaigama also lost the opportunity to have their candidates returned as party standard bearers.
In the same vien, the two petitions against the governorship primaries in Rivers by Senator Abe and Chief Dumo Lulu-Briggs were not upheld.
A source privy to the panel report said: “The petition from Delta State by Prof. Pat Utomi was dismissed and tagged “overtaken by event”.
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“From Borno, there were four petitions against the conduct of the governorship primary. The committee recommended that a consensus option be explored to be driven by the National Chairman in consultation with the President.
According to the source, majority of the petitions against the conduct of the Senate and House of Representatives primaries were not upheld for various reasons, ranging from lack of merit and lack of proof to lack of time for fresh primaries. No reasons were adduced for not upholding some others.
“Similarly, some petitions were upheld and some of the petitioners declared as candidates of the party either because they actually won the primaries and were substituted or for other reasons ranging from lack of clearance and others that were not adduced by the committee”.
A summary of the report indicated that all petitions on the Senate and House of Representatives primaries were rejected by the panel.
“Also rejected were those from Bayelsa, Rivers and Cross River states.
“In Delta State, eight petitions were upheld because the petitioners won the primaries, but their names substituted. Seven were rejected. The three petitions against the conduct of the governorship primary in Akwa Ibom State was rejected alongside eight House of Representatives seat. Five were upheld”.