From Ju Okoro, Calabar
Confusion has continued to trail the All Progressives Congress (APC) northern senatorial district primary election as two aspirants have declared themselves winners of the elections.
While Adams Cecilia Omonya, emerged as the party candidate for one of the 2023 senatorial primary elections for the Northern Senatorial district, Hon. Martins Orim, the former chief of stafd to the Governor, emerged winner in another primary election.
The parallel elections were conducted in Ogoja local government area of the state.
Adams Cecilia Omonya polled 140 votes to defeat Chief Martins Orim who scored 61 votes and Ben Ayade who polled 52 votes respectively.
Adams Cecilia Omonya, an International lawyer and head of Chambers at Adams Cecilia and Associates as well as member of the presidential committee on constitution and Electoral Reforms. Member of Barristers for President Muhammadu Buhari in a congratulatory speech, thanked party excos and members as well as delegates for the work well done and asked each and every one to come together to work as one.
In another primary, the delegates the unanimously voted for Martins’s Orims as he polled a total of 254 votes against Cecilia Adam who scored zero
The foremost aspirant was declared winner by the Secretary of the Electoral Panel of the party for the Senate primaries, Sameona Jabo, Esq, after fulfilling the requirements by winning highest number of valid votes in the primary election.
Hon. Martin Orim scored a total of 254 valid votes while his opponent Barr. Cecilia Adams scored 0 vote. 1 vote was declared invalid.
Chief Martin Orim, who was in company of the member representing Bekwarra/Obudu/Obanliku federal constituency of Cross River State, Rt. Hon. Legor Idagbo, thanked the delegates for the confidence reposed in him and promised to work with the party to ensure victory at the general elections.
But reacting to the inclusion of Governor Ben Ayade in the parallel primary conducted by Adams Cecilia Omonya, the Special Adviser, Media and Publicity to the governor, Christian Ita, said the governor didn’t take part in any senatorial primaries and was listed as a participant.
Ita said: “His Excellency is a presidential aspirant who will be taking part in the APC presidential convention now slated for June 6.
“We make bold to say that the so-called parallel primary election as contained in the said video was at best a poorly scripted skit comedy shot by three persons sitting in a room.
“The sham video is indeed a joke taken too far. It was a vapid, infantile but failed attempt at manipulation as the clowns behind it tragically forgot to also manufacture ballot boxes, delegates, observers and APC panel members. It was a handiwork of political desperadoes who are out to embarrass the governor.”
