The five-man Appeal Panel Committee set up to receive complaints or petitions from aggrieved members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) over the conduct of the delegate congress election in Ekiti State has said it did not receive any petition regarding the exercise.
The APC had on Saturday conducted delegate elections across the 177 wards of the state, ahead of the party’s governorship primary scheduled for Monday, October 27. Each ward produced five delegates.
Addressing journalists on Sunday at the APC Secretariat, Ajilosun, Ado-Ekiti, the Chairman of the Appeal Committee and Bayelsa State APC Chairman, Dr. Dennis Otiotio, said the absence of any complaint indicated that the process was transparent and credible.
“You are aware that yesterday, the delegate congress for the state was held. As part of the electoral procedure, the party appointed a five-man appeal panel to receive complaints or petitions from aggrieved members regarding the conduct of the congress,” Otiotio said.
He explained that the committee arrived in the state two days earlier and issued a public notice calling for petitions from 6 p.m. Saturday to 6 a.m. Sunday, through the panel secretary’s WhatsApp number or email.
“We also announced that by 10 a.m., we would meet to review any petition or complaint. But fortunately, because of the transparent manner in which the delegate congresses were conducted, I want to inform you that we did not receive any petition,” he stated.
Otiotio commended the committee that conducted the exercise for a job well done and lauded the peaceful conduct across all wards.
He also appreciated the National Working Committee of the party for the opportunity to serve, as well as the state governor, Biodun Oyebanji, for his unifying leadership style, which he said fostered consensus and cooperation across the state.
In his reaction, the Ekiti State APC Chairman, Barrister Sola Elesin, described the delegate election as peaceful and credible, saying there was no report of misconduct or malpractice.
“I am glad to inform you that, as of now, we are not disciplining any committee member, as those who conducted the election did their job perfectly. I want to thank them and congratulate them for a successful exercise.
“I believe the appeal panel may not have any issues to raise because everything went smoothly,” Elesin said.
Meanwhile, a coalition of civil society organizations that monitored the exercise also rated the delegate congress as peaceful and credible.
The coalition, under the aegis of Citizen Right for Peace and Non-Violence Initiative, Global Development Centre for Rescue Mission Nigeria, and Sustainable African Initiative for Positive Development made the declaration in a communiqué jointly presented to journalists in Ado-Ekiti.
According to the head of the coalition’s INEC-accredited observer team, Romania Azubuike, the exercise was significant in promoting inclusiveness, fairness, and transparency ahead of the party’s primary election.
“We consider this exercise not only crucial but also highly significant, as it represents a vital step toward ensuring a peaceful and transparent primary election while creating a conducive environment for inclusiveness and fairness,” the communiqué stated.
