Governor Francis Nwifuru of Ebonyi State on Saturday said he was not bothered by the gale of defections which greeted the All Progressives Congress (APC) consensus arrangement for various political positions in the state.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the consensus arrangement the governor anchored did not favour many aspirants.
The aspirants expressed their grievances by leaving the party.
Nwifuru however, told newsmen while monitoring the APC primaries for the House of Representatives in areas where consensus failed that it was within their rights to make decisions.
He said: “I am happy that people are willing and ready to even join other parties to test their popularity.
“It is allowed and that is democracy.”
The governor, however, noted that the majority of the people were happy with the consensus arrangement, where the party’s stakeholders were adequately engaged.
Nwifuru added: “We had several stakeholders meetings where issues were sorted out at the zonal and consultancy levels.
“What we are presently witnessing is the election of candidates to fly our party’s flag and with everyone’s support, competent candidates would be elected.”
He dismissed the report that the consensus aspirant for the Afikpo/Edda Federal Constituency was disqualified, which gave rise to a parallel primaries’ speculation.
He said: “Who disqualified him?
“You are just telling me now.
“We have only one congress committee and when people are contesting elections, the normal thing is to test their popularity on the field.
“There is no need for a parallel congress and nobody is going to conduct any parallel congress.”
The state APC Chairman, Chief Stanley Okoro-Emegha, disclosed that the party was united and the peaceful atmosphere in which the primaries was being conducted attested to such fact.
“We are one big family and will always resolve all contending issues,” Okoro-Emegha said.
