Writing By Isma’il Adamu; Editing By Godwin Duru
One of the aspirants for the Mani/Bindawa federal constituency in the just-concluded All Progressives Congress (APC) primary elections in Katsina State, Ahmed Saleh, has accused the organizing committee of excluding him from the exercise.
Addressing Newsmen in Mani, Saleh said despite being endorsed on two occasions by the party stakeholders in the constituency as the consensus candidate to fly its flag, the state party leadership cancelled the process and organized direct primaries.
“I was endorsed by stakeholders across the constituency and congratulated by party leaders including the governor, but to my surprise that consensus arrangement was cancelled and a new consensus committee was set up to vote between myself and the other aspirant.
“Another round of voting was conducted in the presence of all aspirants. Still, 25 out of 27 stakeholders voted in my favour and my name was published in the party’s official gazette as the candidate for Mani/Bindawa.
“However, while the committee announced me winner, the ticket was eventually handed to someone else”,
The aggrieved aspirant accused security operatives of placing him under house arrest until his opponent was declared winner.
He urged the APC National Secretariat to revisit the process and ensure that justice was done in the interest of the party’s unity as it faces a crucial election next year.
However, reacting to his allegation of being placed under house arrest by security agencies, the Director-General Media, Government House Katsina, Maiwada Danmalam said the state government had nothing to do with the alleged detention of the aspirant.
Meanwhile, while declaring Jamila Abdu Mani as winner of the APC primary election for Mani/Bindawa constituency, the committee chairman, Shafi’u Duwan, maintained that the committee was fair to both contestants in the race.
He declared that Jamila polled a total of 24,989 votes to defeat Ahmed Saleh who scored 1,256 votes.
Isma’il Adamu
