By; FUNMI OROYE ADERINTO, Kaduna
Not less than 100 chairmanship and 350 councillorship aspirants have so far purchased forms to contest for the forthcoming local government elections in Kaduna State on the platform of the All Progressives Congress, (APC).
Acting Secretary of the Shuaibu Idris led executive faction of the party, Yahaya Baba Pate told newsmen at the party secretariat that “members have been trooping in to purchase the forms”.
He also disclosed amidst the crowd of supporters that followed the politicians to the secretariat, that “the So-called impostors” adding that the security agencies have been briefed and will soon put a stop to their activities.
This is as the state Commissioner for Local Government, Professor Kabir Mato said the other faction of the party are just wasting their time and should not be taken seriously.
According to Pate, “As you can see the APC in Kaduna state under the leadership of Alhaji Shuaibu Idris have commenced the sale of forms for the local government elections since last week Friday and you can see how party members that want to aspire for the positions of Chairman and counselors are trooping into the secretariat to purchase their forms.
“The number of members coming to purchase forms has been on the increase on a daily basis, so far 350 members have purchased form to contest for counselor and 100 for chairmanship from the 23 local government areas of the state.
“Sale of forms will end Thursday, (today) and screening of aspirants will commence on Saturday and will last for 6 days.”
Speaking on the Senator Sulieman Hunkuyi faction that have also asked their members to come and purchase forms, he said “The so-called faction are impostors, we don’t know them in APC they are not recognized by the National body of our party, there is only one APC in Kaduna state ably lead by Alhaji Shuaibu Idris.
“I want to let you know that we have written a petition to the police commissioner, Director DSS and we are very sure that within the next few days the security agencies will take necessary action against the so-called factional members that are parading themselves as members and leaders of our party.
“We are calling on our members to disregard any information from those impostors as APC is one in Kaduna state.
On his part, Professor Kabir Mato, state Commissioner for local government and chieftaincy affairs and a member of the APC primaries committee said, “The people of Kaduna state are with this government and the leadership of the party in the state”.
According to him, “It is not just about people putting up structures and saying this is their alternate party office. This is the product of this lacuna that we have in the constitution that the moment you have issues in a political party, members of that political party is free to move”.
He said the situation “breeds a lot of political traders who in a view to wanting to cause trouble and do so many things as long as their selfish desires are not fulfilled, as long as their ambition which in so many cases are selfish are not fulfilled then let the whole building collapse.
“But in Kaduna, it will not happen, it is not happening, so like I said anybody can just wake up in the morning and make announcements but they are rules of engagement.
“APC is not a lawless organization, it is an organization of very civilized people led by very competent and tested hands within the Nigerian political arena, so anybody with the party that feels aggrieved has the necessary processes and rules of the political party to follow and if you don’t follow and you simply desire to just open office somewhere saying you are leading a faction, I think you are merely wasting your time.
