How  democracy is being truncated in Ebonyi

Chris Uba

Last Sunday, Ebonyi State Chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) , announced  the expulsion of  a  Senatorial candidate of the party for Ebonyi South Zone, Mrs Ann Agom-Eze, over  alleged gross misconducts.

The party said, “Mrs Agom-Eze has rebelliously jeopardised her membership by vehemently violating the party’s Constitution, which prohibits any act of dishonesty capable of disparaging it or its member(s).”

 The state chairman  of the party, Chief Stanley Okoro-Emegha, said  while briefing journalists, in Abakaliki, “Mrs Agom-Eze has recklessly disparaged herself too by eating back her words in an effort to satisfy her paymasters. How can a woman who voluntarily wrote, signed and submitted her letter of withdrawal from the Senatorial primary that gave the Federal High Court, Abakakili, the impetus to order for a fresh election still denies it in a broad daylight?

“Do you know that she swore an affidavit to that effect and all these documents are substantially available including at the National Secretariat?

“Out of greed, the same Mrs Agom-Eze approached the state governor who also doubles as the candidate of APC for Ebonyi South Senatorial District, Engr David Nweze Umahi to give her a whooping sum of 20 million naira and a Pedro Jeep. Just because her insatiable appetite for quick riches hit the rock, she decided to embrace the devil(opposition political party).

 “If not that APC through its gender inclusive agenda gave women forms to contest the primaries free of charge, would Ann ever dreamt of anything because she knows that she cannot even win ordinary ward councillor.

“Since her expulsion from the party started in her Umudomi ward in Onicha Local Government area of the state, even as your state party Chairman, I cannot interfere with the decision because politics is a grassroots engagement.

“Since she has been thrown out from the ward, local government area and subsequently the zonal level, what we should be considering now is to look at how to prosecute her in line with our constitution which is supreme.

“However, we are well schooled in her antics as she is being bankrolled by the opposition party namely Ama Nnachi who claims to be the PDP Senatorial candidate for the same Ebonyi South zone. Ama Nnachi has quickly forgotten like one suffering from dementia that most of them leveraged on the influence of Governor David Umahi to be in power today.

“Ann Agom-Eze and her cohorts should know that APC Ebonyi State will convincingly deliver all her candidates including Governor David Umahi in the 2023 General elections. The plan to step down for Ama Nnachi at the general polls has since been busted and will remain exercise in futility.”

One  thing clearly missing in these diatribes  is the offence of the woman. The alleged gross misconducts committed by Agom-Eze   is that she is  laying claim to the ticket of the party  for Ebonyi South zone for 2023,which the state governor is also contesting having lost the presidential primary.

The Ebonyi APC Chairman did not the public that the  state government through its agents ,allegedly, coerced the Vice Chairman of Umudomi Ward, Mr Nwitte John-Eze, to sign a letter suspending  and expelling  Mrs Agom-Eze.  The same suspension/expulsion letter, was on Wednesday, rejected by the Ward Chairman, Ogbonnaya Ogboji and the Secretary, after they were allegedly held hostage for over 14 hours and later offered N1million to sign the letter.

What the Ebonyi APC has failed to tell the public is that Governor Umahi was “double-dealing”. He was seeking for two primaries at the same time against the law. He was , simultaneously , seeking to be the APC presidential candidate and senatorial elections. His younger brother, Austin Umahi, who was the winner of the May 28 primary was used as a placeholder ( for the governor).  

When the first primary was held, the governor was still seeking to be the APC presidential candidate. After losing the  ticket, he returned to Ebonyi, his brother withdrew from the race and the second primary election was conducted on June 9 which was reportedly won by the governor unopposed.

When INEC published the names of senatorial candidates in the state, it left that of Ebonyi South Senatorial District vacant. The governor sued INEC and asked the court to compel the commission to recognise  him as the authentic candidate for Ebonyi South Senatorial District.

The Abakaliki Division of the Federal High Court  struck out  the  suite on the ground  that the APC erred in conducting another primary without including the name of the runner-up in the first primary after the winner of the first primary withdrew from the race. Agom-Eze, who came second in the first primary approached the court and urged it not to recognise Governor Umahi as the APC candidate.

This has been the trend in Nigeria in  the current electoral cycle. An average Nigerian politician is an optimist who feels and thinks no position is too high to aspire to. Many of  those (politicians) bought forms for a presidential contest, knowing very well  that they are just making up the numbers and at the same time, they always have a Plan B. Most of them bought senatorial form and those who are first-time governors also bought a gubernatorial form.

Senate President Ahmed Lawan , for instance, is currently enmeshed in this controversy over  his attempt to be president ( it is within his rights to contest). But  after losing out in the presidential primary,he (Lawan) wants to go back to the senate, but there is a snag. The Yobe North Senatorial candidate of the APC, Bashir Machina,is  insisting  that he will not  step down for him.

According to him, Lawan, who currently occupies the seat, did not have a plan to return to the senate. The APC  has been  putting pressure on Machina, who has  insisted on not giving the ticket to Lawan, arguing  that the Senator would not have contested the party’s presidential primary if he had the ambition of returning to the senate. Former Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio,  is also  having  the same problem.

INEC has said that it does not accommodate the nominations of Senators Ahmed Lawan and Godswill Akpabio in respect of Yobe North and Akwa Ibom North-West senatorial districts. The Commission said it has not recognised any of the two personalities as a senatorial candidate in the 2023 general election.

 Under Section 31 of the 2022 Electoral Act, substitution by the political party is no longer allowed except by  withdrawal by individual or nominee and or death. The law says that  any person  who has emerged at all levels, up to the presidential level, can decide that he or she   is no longer interested. He or she  can write an application signed and deliver it to  his or her  party which will  deliver it to INEC. By the provisions of Section 33 of the 2022 Electoral Act, a political party cannot remove or substitute a candidate that emerged from a valid primary.

Umahi’s case is slightly different in that he used his brother as a placeholder. Agom-Eze is saying that  Umahi younger brother has withdrawn from the race , she , as the runners-up should be given the ticket not the governor.

Agom Eze has appealed a recent  High Court judgement which ordered fresh candidates for the rerun primary election for the constituency.    While filling  the appeal , Agom-Eze said : “That it was Governor David Umahi that went to Court, I only joined the suit as it affects me, and erroneous claims made against my person”.

“That although the Judgment of Hon. Justice Riman of the Federal High Court, Abakaliki was partly in my favour, I have filed an appeal in the Court of Appeal to seek remedy over the order of the Court for fresh primaries to admit new aspirants”.

“That the general public and all concerned should be mindful of the fact that this matter is pending in the court of Law and as such I expect all concerned to be patient and stay all actions and allow the matter to run its course in the court of Law, I urge my supporters to remain calm and law-abiding.”

Her offence is that she is struggling for a senatorial seat with the governor of  Ebonyi State. Will she win the battle? Nigerians are waiting to know the outcome.