By; MOHAMMED KAWU, Bauchi
Aggrieved All Progressives Congress (APC) aspirants vying for the Bauchi State House of Assembly have appealed to the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party to as a matter of urgency, order for a fresh election of the LGA delegates.
They noted that already elected local government delegates for the primary elections were compromised, hence the need for the conduct of fresh elections, else the aggrieved would go for direct primary elections.
The aspirants voiced their grievances Sunday during a press briefing in Bauchi led by an interim aggrieved chairman, Hon. Saleh A Umar Nabayi revealed that eleven state constituencies were affected by their plea.
Umar explained that 43 members were affected in the 11 state constituencies, who lawfully purchased nomination/expression of interest forms to contest for various state house of Assembly seats when their efforts have been scuttled.
“Our party did not inform any aspirant that any of the serving members will be given an automatic ticket. We all obtained forms as required by the Constitution and followed all the instructions given by our leaders, we canvassed for support across our constituencies and patiently waited for the day of primary election”, he cried.
The election was slated for Thursday, we sent our agents to the party secretariat, they were waiting but sadly election materials were not distributed to the officials till dusk without any communication from the election panel. When they arrived late in the evening, they said that they could not distribute the materials that same Thursday, claiming that some of the constituencies in Bauchi State are far away from the Capital so they pleaded with us that everyone should reconvene on Friday at 7:am when the election materials would be distributed”.
“We all left for our various destinations and returned on Friday morning. On that Friday, we were surprised to hear from the Committee that all the state constituencies that have serving lawmakers have been given automatic tickets, therefore there won’t be elections in those areas. They said that they have received orders from the National Headquarters to give automatic tickets to all the serving state Assembly members”.
Hon. Umar said they expressed their anger over the new twist and insisted that elections must be held in all the state constituencies, including those with serving members, whereas the State Chairman of the party who was represented at the meeting pleaded with them to meet the following Saturday so as to forward their complaints to Abuja, but nothing has been done to this effect
The aggrieved aspirants chairman gave the affected constituencies as Toro/Jama’a State constituency in Toro Local Government, Lame State Constituency in Toro LGA, Burra State Constituency in Ningi LGA, Ganjuwa East in Ganjuwa LGA, Giade constituency in Giade LGA, Shira in Shira LGA, Jama’are in Jama’are LGA, Katagum in Zaki LGA, Dambam/Daguada/Jalam in Dambam LGA, Chinade/Madara in Katagum LGA, and Warji constituency in Warji LGA.
