WARRI/Nigeria: Loyal members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) across six Itsekiri political wards in Warri South-West Local Government Area of Delta State have petitioned President Bola Ahmed Tinubu over what they described as the unjust disqualification of their preferred Delta State House of Assembly aspirant, Andrew Omagbemi Igban, from the party’s primary election process.
The petition, signed by Prince E. Etuwewe, Anibi Eyedisan and Joseph Egiri, accused the APC screening committee of unfairly excluding the aspirant from the Warri South-West Constituency primary and called on President Tinubu to urgently intervene in the matter.
The protest was contained in a letter titled, “Letter of Protest to Mr. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu Regarding Unjust Disqualification of Our Chosen Aspirant for the Delta State House of Assembly, Warri South-West.”
The aggrieved members said they were speaking on behalf of party faithful from the six Itsekiri political wards of Ugborodo, Ajudiabo, Akpakpa, Ogidigben, Madangho and Orere, insisting that the disqualification denied them the opportunity to support a candidate they had collectively chosen.
According to the petitioners, the action of the screening committee was not only unfair but also amounted to a denial of their democratic rights within the party.
“We are strongly protesting his disqualification from the primaries without any valid reason, thereby denying us our fundamental democratic rights to choose and vote for the candidate we believe can best represent us at this time,” the letter stated.
The members further alleged that due process and screening guidelines were not followed during the exercise, maintaining that the electoral process was compromised.
Describing the development as oppressive, they argued that party members should not be denied the right to participate in selecting their representatives.
“We see this injustice as oppression by our party leaders, as the screening process guidelines were not followed and the electoral process was disregarded. This is unfair to us as a people with a voice in selecting our representatives because democracy is a freedom for everyone,” the petition added.
The group warned that failure to address the issue could result in frustration among party supporters and affect cohesion ahead of future electoral engagements, especially the 2027 general elections.
They appealed to President Tinubu to investigate the matter thoroughly to safeguard internal democracy and protect the rights of party members.
The petitioners also cautioned that continued neglect of their concerns could push some members to seek alternatives outside the party, a situation they said may not be in the overall interest of the APC.
Despite their grievances, the members reaffirmed their loyalty to the ruling party, stressing that they remained committed to the APC as their political platform.
“We remain loyal to the party as our choice vehicle to serve our constituent,” the signatories stated while appealing for justice and intervention.
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