FCT: APC grants waiver to AMAC Chairman, other PDP deflectors

The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has granted waivers to all defectors from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and other parties who recently joined the party.

The party has also fixed 25th of June to hold its primary election in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.

Blueprint gathered that the decision to grant waiver to new entrants was reached at an emergency meeting of the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) held on Monday night at the party’s national secretariat.

National Organising Secretary, Alhaji Muhammed Suleiman Arugungu also confirmed the development Tuesday while inaugurating the Chairmen and Secretaries of the party Screening and Screening Appeal Committees for the FCT Area Council election.

Arugungu said the party’s highest administrative organ on Monday approved waiver for all new members into the party for the shadow election of the party.

He said: “The National Working Committee realised that some of the aspirants have just joined the party. In consotant with the constitution of our party, yesterday (Monday) NWC approved waiver for all that has just joined the party. This is to give them the opportunity to come on board and participate in the forth coming election. ”

Inaugurating the committees on behalf of the National Chairman, Arugungu said 35 aspirants are jostling for the party’s chairmanship tickets in the six area councils while 135 Councillorship aspirants are contesting for the 62 wards tickets.

The APC Organizing Secretary added that the NWC agreed the screening exercise be conducted in three centers after consultation with the leadership of the party at the Federal Capital Territory.

He explained that the exercise will have two of the councils in each of the three centers.

According to the schedules, aspirants from Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) and Bwari Area Council are to be screened in Bwari; Gwagwalada will host the screening of aspirants from Gwagwalada and Kuje Area Councils and aspirants from Abaji and Kwali Area Councils are to converge in Kwali for same exercise.

Arugungu also revealed AMAC has the highest number of 9 chairmanship aspirants, with 8 aspirants jostling for Bwari Area Council ticket, 7 aspirants will be slugging out in Kuje Area Council while in Kwali Area Council, 6 aspirants are eyeing the party’s ticket and 4 aspirants in Gwagwalada are in the race. Abaji Area Council has only one aspirant.

For the Councillorship tickets, AMAC has 49 aspirants, Bwari 29, Gwagwalada 19, Kwali 14; Kuje 13 and 11 aspirants will appear for screeningAbaji Area Council.

Admonishing the committes to be thorough in the discharge of their assignments, the National Organising Secretary added that they should be guided by the party’s guidelines and the Electoral Act.

He said they should ensure a fool-proof screening that would guarantee that the party flagbearers are qualified to contest the election, in line with Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) guidelines.

“We are admonishing you to thorough. Your committees should be fair to all in line with the guidelines of the Constitution of the party. We should ensure that if any of our candidates is elected, we will have no fear of litigation when we win the election proper.

Responding, on behalf of the committees, Hon. Akinfolarin Mayowa promised that the committees would not disappoint the confidence the party reposed on them.

“We are going to be fair and just to all that will appear before us,” Mayowa assured.