Crisis brews in Niger APC over plan to discard free, fair primary election

Delegates and stakeholders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Magama/Rijau Federal Constituency are set for a showdown with the state Party Chairman, Hon. Haliru Jikantoro over directives for a fresh elections to be held in Minna.

The said election has already been won and lost as every aspirant have accepted the outcome

It would be recalled that the Primaries which held in Kontagora on the 28th May was earlier sheduled for Friday 27th in Rijau after delegates were attacked by thugs and bandits, the electoral committee rescheduled the election.

The election was peacefully held while the aspirants’ agents signed the result sheets and the result announced by the Chairman Primary Election Committee, Dr. Danjuma Binni Beji and the secretary Dr. Garba Salihu.
The results of the election indicated that Dr. Mahmuda Mamman polled 103 votes out of 103 of the 103 accredited voters.

The other two aspirants who scored zero votes are the incumbent House of Representatives member, Hon. Shehu Sale and Bashir Ahmed.

The Chairman of APC, Magama local government, Abukakar Usman (aka Bafa) said, “there was no appeal or protest from any aspirant or members in the constituency.

“The primary elections went on peacefully, the result was announced and everyone of us had gone back to his various home After we heard of the latest development, we called the Appeal committee and they said they did not receive any appeal or protest. “So, why is the state party Chairman trying to cause unnecessary problems?

He added that, “The agents of the aspirants signed the result sheets after the electoral committee announced it in the presence of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the security agencies and even the Media.”

Efforts to get the state Party Chairman Hon. Haliru Jikantoro proved abortive as he kept rejecting calls put to him. However, a text message sent to his phone was not replied.

The Chairman, Appeal committee, Umar Marado confirmed that elections held and that no appeal or protest was received from Magama/ Rijau federal Constituency.

Two of the delegates, Yohanna Musa and Aliyu Abdullahi Jatau told Journalists that “if the rescheduled elections must take place, then it has to be in Kontagora and not Minna. Kontagora is safe and closer to all the delegates.

“We have concluded our primary elections, the aspirants are okay with the results but the state party Chairman and some persons who don’t mean well for the party want to cause problems. We will not succumb to their game plan”.