The Oyo State chapter of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has explained that it was left with no option than to postpone its primary election earlier scheduled for today, Monday February 19, 2018.
The party though did not give new date, however, noted that the primaries was postponed “in view of the extension of deadline for the submission of candidates’ list which the State Independent Electoral Commission announced at the weekend.”
The party claimed that “OYSIEC had announced on Saturday that it was again extending the deadline for the political parties participating in the May 12, 2018 local government council poll to conclude their party primaries owing to issues relating to the delineation of wards exercise recently carried out in the state.”
APC in a statement issued on Sunday by its Publicity Secretary, Olawale Sadare, said it “regretted that the need for the postponement of the party primaries arose at a time it had concluded all arrangement required for the anticipated successful conduct of the exercise in all the 33 local government councils and 35 local council development areas of the state”.
The party appealed for calm and understanding among its numerous chairmanship and councillorship aspirants as it assured that the much-awaited party primaries would be held in a transparent manner as against the insinuations coming from some quarters.
The statement reads “It was left with no option other than postponing its intra-party election earlier scheduled for Monday February 19, 2018 in view of the extension of deadline for the submission of candidates’ list which the State Independent Electoral Commission announced at the weekend.
“OYSIEC had announced on Saturday that it was again extending the deadline for the political parties participating in the May 12, 2018 local government council poll to conclude their party primaries owing to issues relating to the delineation of wards exercise recently carried out in the state.
“The governing party regretted that the need for the postponement of the party primaries arose at a time it had concluded all arrangement required for the anticipated successful conduct of the exercise in all the 33 local government councils and 35 local council development areas of the state.
“As a party that is interested in developing Oyo State and its people, we are convinced that accommodating the new wards in the May 12 poll would be in the overall interest of all and sundry. Therefore, we see the latest development as an important sacrifice which we have to pay at this material time.
“Meanwhile, we are using this opportunity to appeal for calm and understanding among APC’s chairmanship and councillorship aspirants even as we assure that the much-awaited party primaries would be held in a transparent manner as against the insinuations coming from some quarters”.
