APC releases guidelines for primaries for 2024 LG election in Cross River

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has released the guidelines for the conduct of primaries for the selection of candidates for the 2024 Local Government election in Cross River State.

ELECTORAL GUIDELINES FOR THE CONDUCT OF PRIMARIES FOR THE 2024 LOCAL GOVERNMENT ELECTION

PREAMBLE

Whereas;

(i) By section 7 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (As Amended), a system of Local Government by democratically Elected Local Government Council is hereby guaranteed.

(ii) Section 221 of the said Constitution gives sole authority to Political Parties to canvass for votes for candidates at any election.

In pursuance of the above, our great party, All Progressives Congress (APC) has approved the following guidelines for the conduct of Primary Elections for aspirants to the position of Local Government Council Chairman and Councillorship in respect of the forthcoming Local Government Council Election scheduled to hold in Cross River State on the 2nd of November 2024,

1. ELIGIBILITY FOR PARTY PRIMARIES:

(i) An Aspirant must be a citizen of Nigeria.

(ii) An Aspirant must fulfil all conditions stipulated in the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (As Amended), the Cross River State Local Government Laws 2004, and fulfil the requirements in the All Progressives Congress Constitution as Amended in 2022, and all other requirements provided in the Guidelines herein.

(iii) An Aspirant must be a registered voter and must attach photocopy of his/her INEC Voter’s Registration Card and National Identity Number (NIN) to the duly completed Party expression of interest Form.

(iv) An Aspirant must be a member of the Party for a period of three (3) months preceding the Primary Election.

(v) An aspirant for the election of Council Chairman and office of Councillorship must present evidence of up-to-date payment of party dues.

(vi) Any member of the Executive Committee of the Party at any level, a Civil Servant or Public Servant, or an Appointee of Government, who wishes to contest in the primaries, must resign from the said office, employment or resign from his/her appointment not later than 30 days before the date of the main election.

(viii) An Aspirant must have been educated up to at least Secondary School Certificate Level or its equivalent.

(ix) An Aspirant for Election for the Office of Council Chairman of a Local Government must have attained the age of thirty (30) years or above.

(x) An Aspirant for election to the Office of Councillorship must have attained the age of (25) years or above.

2. DISQUALIFICATION

An Aspirant to either the Office of Council Chairmanship or Councillorship of a Local Government shall be disqualified for any or a combination of the following reasons:

(i) If he/she is not resident in the Local Government Area Council or Ward, or is not an indigene of that LGA or Ward.

(ii) If he/she fails to produce tax clearance or evidence of having paid tax or exemption from payment of tax as at when due for the last three preceding years.

(iii) If he/she fails to produce his evidence of payment of dues in the last three preceding years.

(iv) If he/she has been dismissed from the Public Service of the Federation or of the State or Local Government Council.

(v) If he/she has been convicted by a court of competent jurisdiction of any offence involving dishonesty.
OR
Any offence involving narcotic drugs or advance fee fraud, or any other narcotic substance by any court or tribunal in Nigeria, or within the Common Wealth or elsewhere
OR
If he/she has been adjudged guilty of Treason or Treasonable Felony, by any court or tribunal or court-marital.

(vi) If he/she has been convicted for embezzlement of public funds, or bribery, or fraud, or by reason of dishonesty by either or all of the following:

(I) A Judicial Commission for Enquiry (for which a white paper was issued).

(II) An Administrative enquiry (for which a copy of the said enquiry was served to him, or howsoever the result was brought to his notice, provided that:

(i) It shall be the responsibility of the aspirant to show that no white paper or that result of an enquiry was brought to his attention or notice).

(ii) A Tribunal or any lawful authority, e.g. Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC), EFCC, etc.

(iii) If he/she has been adjudged by a superior court of law to be a lunatic or of unsound mind or bankrupt under the Bankruptcy Law.

(iv) If he/she is identified to belong to any Secret Cult.

(v) If he/she has not properly resigned his/her position as stipulated herein.

(vi) No Aspirant shall qualify to contest the primaries if, being an aspirant for Councillorship Election, he/she has not earlier been nominated by 10 nominators whose names are found in the APC Party register at the Ward, and whose names are found in the INEC register of Voters.

(vii) No Aspirant shall qualify to contest the primaries if being an aspirant for Chairmanship Election, he/she has not earlier been nominated by 12 nominators whose names are found in the APC Party register at the Wards in which the nominators reside or register, and whose names are found as voters in the INEC register of voters.

(viii) Nominators for Councillorship must be spread in not less than 2/3 of all the polling units in the Ward concerned.

(ix) Nominators for Chairmanship must be spread in not less than 2/3 of the Wards in the Local Government Council.

3. NOMINATION PROCEDURES

An Aspirant must be a duly registered financial member of the Party whose name is contained in the Party’s Membership Register. A photocopy of his/her membership Card must be attached to his/her duly completed Interest Form,
Interest Forms for primaries shall be obtained from the State Secretariat of the Party upon payment of the prescribed fees through bank draft or cash payment into the ALL PROGRESSIVES CONGRESS, CROSS RIVER STATE CHAPTER GLOBUS BANK ACCOUNT NUMBER 1000194724

His Excellency, the People’s Governor, Sen. Prince Bassey Edet Otu has graciously subsidised the cost of intent form by Ninety per cent [90%] therefore An Aspirant shall obtain the Expression of Interest Form upon payment of the prescribed sum of One Hundred Thousand Naira [ N100,000.00] only for Chairmanship and Twenty Thousand Naira [ N20,000.00] only for Councillorship from the State Secretariat of the Party. Only screened and acceptable aspirants, as recommended by the Screening Committee and approved by the State Working Committee after their final nomination at the State caucus, will be allowed to pay and obtain a Nomination Form.

Nomination Form shall be issued after the state caucus meeting for a fee to be made known on the 14th of October by noon.

All Female Aspirants and physically challenged aspirants who emerged after the State caucus meeting on the 14th of October shall pay only fifty per cent [50%] of the cost of the Nomination form.

Aspirants must supply all the information requested in the Expression of Interest Forms truthfully and honestly.

Any Aspirant who gives false information or makes a false declaration in the Expression of Interest form specified above shall be disqualified.

Aspirants shall be bound by the decisions of the State Caucus.

4. i. Nomination of candidates for councillorship shall be by consensus.

Provided that where a candidate has emerged by consensus for an elective position, a vote of “Yes” or “No” shall be called (affirmation)

Nomination of candidates for Local Government Council Chairman shall be by consensus.

Provided that where a candidate has emerged by consensus for an elective position, a vote of “Yes” or “No” shall be called (affirmation).

4. PROCEDURE FOR NOMINATION OF CANDIDATES:

i. Candidates shall emerge through Consensus building commencing from inputs of all members through the congress/caucuses from the Ward, LGA Caucus, Senatorial District / State Advisory council consultation with the Governor and finally at the State Caucus for the position of Chairmanship and Councillorship.

ii. The caucus leaders of each local government shall have a detailed Terms of Reference [TOR] on consensus building, which will be published on the date of the Local Government Area Caucus meeting to guide the modalities for the emergence of candidates. However, emphasis on known traditional zoning of offices in every political ward and LGA, gender issues particularly the cry of marginalisation of women / 35% affirmative action for councillorship and reasonable percentage for chairmanship, the necessity to include physically challenged and the importance of accommodating legacy members of the party to have a united family will be taken into consideration.

A vote of “Yes” or “No” shall be affirmed at the respective Local Government Area council and Ward headquarters

Consensus to nominate a candidate for the office of Local Government Council Chairman shall be by the Local Government Executive Committee and Members of the Chapter Caucus.

A vote of “Yes” or “No” shall be affirmed.

Consensus for the purpose of nominating a candidate for the office of councillorship shall be by the ward executive committee and ward card-carrying members of the party whose names are in the register of the party.

5. SCREENING OF ASPIRANTS FOR THE PRIMARIES

There shall be, for the purpose of the primaries, a Local Government Screening Committee for the screening of Councillorship aspirants and a Senatorial District Screening Committee for the screening of Chairmanship aspirants, whose duties shall be to screen aspirants for Councillorship and Chairmanship Elections.

The Screening Committee shall consist of a Chairman and two members appointed by the State Executive Committee of the Party.

The result of the screening exercise shall be communicated to the aspirants within 48 (forty-eight) hours of its determination, or immediately thereafter.

6. SCREENING APPEAL PANEL

The screening for all LGA chairmanship aspirants will be held at the senatorial district level, and Appeals shall lie to the State Executive Committee of the party at the State Secretariat in Calabar.

Screening of Councillorship Aspirants will be held in the LGA headquarters of the party or any convenient venue at the LGA headquarters. All appeals lie to the State Executive Committee at the state secretariat in Calabar.

Results of screening and results of Appeals shall be delivered within 48 hours.

There shall be Screening Appeal Panel composed of a Chairman and two other persons one whom shall be the State Legal Adviser appointed by the State Executive Committee of the Party whose function shall be to entertain appeals from aggrieved persons.

The screening committee shall ensure that aspirants are qualified to contest Local Government Election primaries. To this end, there shall be a screening checklist which all aspirants shall comply with in respect of submission of their credentials at the office of the State Legal Adviser for vetting at the point of submission of interest form to ensure it meets the party’s required checklist before the screening commences by the Screening Committees

Any aggrieved aspirant shall have the right to appeal in writing to the Screening Appeal Panel within 24 (twenty-four) hours from the date of receipt of the result of the screening or soon thereafter.

The Screening Appeal Panel or its appointed representatives shall pronounce on the Appeals within 24 hours

Only the aspirant who has been cleared by the appropriate Screening Committee or whose appeal is upheld by the Screening Appeal Panel shall be allowed to participate in Primaries where consensus building will be held.

7. LOCAL GOVERNMENT CONGRESS FOR AFFIRMATION

On the date fixed for affirmation, there shall be a congress where all card-carrying members of the party shall converge at the LGA council to affirm the candidate through a voice vote.

8. APPOINTMENT OF ELECTORAL COMMITTEE/RETURNING OFFICERS

There shall be for the conduct of the Primary Elections for all the eighteen (18) Local Government Areas, a Central Electoral Committee made up of Two (2) persons appointed by the State Executive Committee of the Party, one of whom shall be the Chairman.

There shall be an Electoral Appeal Panel, which shall consist of a Chairman and two others, provided that the State Legal Adviser of the Party is made a member thereof, whose function shall be to entertain appeals from aggrieved persons.

The Chairman of the Electoral Committee shall be the Chief Returning Officer for the Primaries.

The State Executive Committee shall appoint two persons from each of the 18 Local Government Areas as Returning Officer and Electoral Officer respectively, provided that no person shall be posted to his/her Local Government of origin as Returning Officer for the conduct of the Primary Election.

9. WARD CONGRESS FOR ELECTION OF COUNCILLORSHIP CANDIDATE

In respect of the Councillorship Primaries, each LGA Executive Committee shall, in consultation with Ward leaders, forward five (5) names to the State Executive Committee,e, who shall appoint two as the Ward Returning/Electoral Officer. The Returning Officer shall be deployed to a Ward other than his/her own, while the other nominee shall remain in his/her own Ward as Electoral Officer.

10. ORDER OF ELECTIONS

The order of elections shall be as follows:

i. Primary Election to the Office of Councilor

ii. Primary Election to the Office of Chairman

11. VENUE

The venue for the Primary Election shall be the Office of the APC at the Local Government and Ward Levels, or
Any other suitable venue as may be approved in writing by the Electoral Committee

Any official change of venue shall be made public by means of written publication and/or announcement in the electronic media not later than 24 hours before the commencement of the primaries.

The Returning Officer shall preside over the elections at Ward/Local Government Headquarters as the case may be.

Signed
Hon. Emmanuel Edem Inyang JP
State Publicity Secretary
APC CRS Chapter
6th October 2024