43 APC aggrieved house of Assembly aspirants demands fresh primaries in Bauchi

By Mohammed kaka Misau, Bauchi

No fewer than 43 All Progressive Congress (APC) house of assembly aspirants in Bauchi who felt aggrieved with the conduct of the primary election has demanded a repeat of the exercise.

Addressing a press conference at the Bauchi state Secretariate of the NUJ, the aspirants appealed to the party’s National working Committee (NWC) to order fresh elections in 11 constituencies in Bauchi to elect delegates.

They expressed fears that the local government delegates who would partake in the primary election were already being compromised.

They, therefore, called on the party’s National Working Committee to, as a matter of urgency, order for a fresh election of the LGA delegates or allow for a direct primary election in the LG in question.

Saleh Umar Nabayi who spoke on behalf of the other 42 aggrieved persons, expressed dissatisfaction with the decision of the party that gave its serving members in the state House of Assembly automatic tickets.

He said they were aggrieved that the action came even as they have already purchased, filled and submitted their expression of interest and nomination forms to the party.

Nabayi who said none of them was informed of the decision before they purchased the forms to contest for the seats in the state House of Assembly, said that the decision of the party is unacceptable by them.

“We are here before you to express our grievances to the National Working Committee and the entire world”, the spokesperson of the aggrieved aspirants that felt shortchanged, told Journalists on Sunday.

He added, “before you this afternoon, are about 43 loyal party members of the APC who lawfully purchased nomination/expression of interest forms to contest for various state House of Assembly seats”.

He said, as aspirants, they all obtained forms as required by the constitution and followed all the instructions given by the leaders of the party, adding that they have also canvassed for support across their various constituencies and were patiently waiting for Primary election before the unpalatable decision surfaced.

Nabayi said the primary election which was supposed to hold Thursday last week could not hold due to the late arrival of electoral materials.

He said they were surprised to be informed by the electoral committee on Friday that all the state constituencies with serving members have been given automatic tickets and as such there won’t be elections in those constituencies.

The aggrieved aspirants noted they held a meeting with the state chairman of the party and presented their complaints with the gubernatorial candidate of the party, Abubakar Saddique Baba, all of who promised to convey their grievances to the national secretariat of the party.

According to Nabayi, the 11 affected state constituencies, include Toro/Jama’a and Lame State Constituency in Toro Local Government; Burra State Constituency (Ningi LGA); Ganjuwa East State Constituency (Ganjuwa LGA) and Giade State state assembly, Burra State Constituency in Ningi Local Government and Ganjuwa East State Constituency in Ganjuwa LGA.

Others the aggrieved aspirants noted are, Giade State Constituency in Giade LGA, Shira State Constituency in Shira LGA, Jama’are State Constituency in Jama’are LGA, Katagum State Constituency in Zaki LGA, Dambam/Daguada/Jalam in Dambam LGA, Chinade/Madara in Katagum LGA and Warji State Constituency in Warji LGA.