The National Working Committee (NWC) of the APC has shifted the date for the Bayelsa State governorship primary scheduled for today.
The primary election will now hold on Saturday, August 31.
The APC National Publicity Secretary, Malam Lanre Issa-Onilu, yesterday, said the party had also adopted the direct mode of primary in line with the written request of the Bayelsa State chapter and majority of the stakeholders.
Malam Issa-Onilu said the decision was in compliance with the decision of the APC National Executive Committee (NEC) which granted state chapters and majority of party leaders in a state the right to decide on the mode of primary they wished to adopt.
On Tuesday, the NWC upheld the reports of the screening and appeal committees on the Bayelsa governorship aspirants.
The APC spokesperson further said in a statement that out of the seven governorship aspirants that were screened, six were cleared to participate in the primary.
Issa-Onilu said those cleared were Mr. Aganaba Preye Steven, Sen. Heineken Lokpobiri, Prince Ebitimi Christopher Amgbare, Ms. Diseye Nsirim Poweigha, Mr. Lyon David Pereworimini and Engr. Prof (Mrs.) Ongoebi Maureen Etebu.
He said the NWC upheld the disqualification of Dr. Briyai Oyeins Frankland from participating in the primary based on Section 3 Paragraph L of the party’s guidelines for the nomination of candidates, which required that aspirants must be card-carrying members of the party for a period of one year.
…Court stops direct primary
But the Bayelsa High Court yesterday granted an order restraining the National Executive Committee(NEC) of APC from adopting direct primary in selecting the party’s flag-bearer.
According to the order of interim injunction made by Justice E.G Umokoro , the party’s NEC should refrain from applying direct primaries for the forthcoming exercise pending the determination of the substantive suit filed by some party stakeholders.
Messrs Japan Christopher, Evinson Olotu , Oddu Onyimiebi and Onyimiebi Isaih took the national chairman of APC and 23 members of his executive and Bayelsa chapter executives to court over the decision to use direct primary.
The judge also ordered for an accelerated hearing of the substantive suit and abridged the time frame for the respondents to file their response and counter affidavit to seven days given the timeliness of the matter.
