APC Guber Crisis: Party to Appeal Ruling on Primary - Remain Calm, Appeal Court Will Reverse Judgement, We Win 2023 Elections-Sen. Girei

Daily Rendezvous 

The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Adamawa says it is heading to the appeal Court to challenge the ruling by the Federal High Court that bars the party from fielding a governorship Candidate for the 2023 elections in Adamawa.

The party says it remains confident and hopeful that it would win the 2023 governorship elections in Adamwa and that the appellete court will upend the ruling of the lower court and grand the party the opportunity to conduct a fresh primary in order to field a candidates for the 2023 governorship elections in Adamawa state.

This was made known by the state Secretary of the party, Raymond Chidama, shortly after arising from a State Executive Committee meeting of the party in Yola, Adamawa state.

Raymond Chidama said, "The All Progressives Congress APC in Adamawa receives the court judgement on the Governorship Primary of the party which was held on the 26th and 27th of May, 2022 with mixed feelings.

"But we also thank the court for drawing our attention to the loopholes in the processes of the governorship primary which if left unattended to might lead to regrets in the future.

"We cannot forget in a hurry the incedents at Anambra and Zamfara state where primaries were conducted and after elections the mandates were handed over to the opposition due to such lapses."

Chidama adds that, "On the other hand, the party rejects the decision of the court not to order a fresh conduct of primaries in order for us to field a candidate for the 2023 general elections. 

"Therefore we will proceed to the court of appeal to press home our demands.

"We want to appeal to all our Governorship aspirants to remain calm and to appeal to their loyalist steadfast and not allow any disaffection to come between them.

"And we want to also appeal to our party faithfuls to remain be calm because the party APC will participate in the 2023 governorship elections and we will win the governorship race in 2023."

On whether the party has any chances of participating in the 2023 general elections, the party said, "It still maintains positive that the court of appeal will grant the party a favourable judgement who h will allow it to conduct conduct a fresh primary and field a governorship candidate for the 2023 elections in Adamwa.

"The court has the power to compel INEC to accept the name of any candidate presented by the party even if it falls outside the electoral body's timeline for submission. The provision of the Constitution overrides the provision of the electoral act.

"We would however, not preempt the decision of the appalete court on this matter but we appeal to our members remain positive that the higher court will deliver judgement in our favour and we will win the 2023 elections."

Reacting to the court decision, an APC stalwart, Sen

 Abubakar Girei said he remains optimistic and that the party will appeal the suit and would surely get a favourable judgement.

Girei said, "I appeal to the supporters of the Ribadu and Binani’s camps to eschew bitterness and rancour as the judgement is only temporal and will not last the test of judicial scrutiny.

“There is no need mentioning that all of us are taken aback by this development. But I believe it is divinely arranged in order to test our resilience and strength of character as a people and party.

“As stakeholders, we are studying the judgement and I want to assure you we will do the needful by appealing the judgement.

“We believe the appellate court will upturn the judgement and we will not only go into the 2023 election, but we shall emerge victorious.

“I call on all stakeholders including the two camps to exercise restraint, remain law abiding and exercise patience in the face of this unsavory development. We shall traverse this course together and ensure landslide victory for all APC candidates in the forthcoming 2023 elections God willing."