- Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim, a presidential aspirant under the Alliance for New Nigeria (ANN), has pulled out of the party's primary
- Olawepo-Hashim withdrew from the exercise billed for Saturday, September 29, citing irregularities
- He particularly referred to the breach of party’s constitutional procedure in the build-up to the primary election
The Alliance for New Nigeria (ANN) may be witnessing a major crisis as its front-line presidential aspirant, Mr. Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim announced his withdrawal from the party's primary on Friday, September 28.
Olawepo-Hasim, a former deputy publicity secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party, said the party’s constitutional procedure to the build-up to it presidential primary scheduled for Saturday, September 29, has been breached.
In a letter addressed to the party chairman, the 53-year old businessman, said that it is regrettable that the abnormalities he mentioned to the chairman at the party's meetings on Wednesday, September 26, have not been corrected.
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“The list of delegates has not been provided to me as a presidential aspirant on the platform of the ANN. This is contrary to the constitution of the ANN and the electoral act.
“This is such a fundamental flaw as to render any exercise purporting to be presidential primaries to be nugatory,” he said.
He further said it is unfortunate that even on the eve of the so-called primaries, guidelines for the primaries, which ought to have been approved by the National Executive Committee (NEC) and issued at least 7 days before the elections, are not available.
His words: “The absence of guidelines to guide the conduct of the primaries constitute a grave violation of our party’s constitution and the electoral act.
“The arrangements for the presidential primaries have not been published so that everyone will know. Who are those to conduct the primaries, including accreditation of delegates, screening of aspirants etc.
“As a presidential aspirant, I am yet to know the arrangements put in place for the conduct of the primaries.”
Because of these alleged imperfections, he stated: “I regret to inform you that I will not participate in tomorrow’s primaries until the constitution of the party is respected and all the defects are rectified.”
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Olawepo-Hashim had picked his nomination form at the party headquarters in Abuja on Wednesday, September 19.
The presidential hopeful who said he has immense respect for President Muhammadu Buhari due to his sacrifices to the nation, however, noted that what Nigeria urgently needs is a president that will be a commander-in-chief to all Nigerians.
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Source: Naija.ng
ROSY CREST
Saturday, 29 September 2018