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From Abel Leonard, Lafia
Barr. Labaran Magaji, an Aspirant contesting for All Progressive Congress (APC) ticket for Nasarawa West Senatorial District has raised alarm over the use of alleged fake delegates list employed by some elements in the party to participate in the district’s primary election.
He raised the alarm in an interview with newsmen in Keffi local government area of the state early on Monday after angry youths disrupted the ongoing Nasarawa West Senatorial District electoral process late on Sunday.
Daily Sun Reports that the election is between Labaran Magaji and Arc. Shehu Tukur after a frontrunner in the contest, Hon. Ahmed Wadada withdrew from the contest citing same complaints of illegal change of the original delegates list.
The Nasarawa West Senatorial District consists of Toto, Karu, Keffi, Kokona and Nasarawa local government areas.
Magaji also stressed that the alleged change of the delegates list is a serious issue and impediment to true democracy that needed to be handled properly to avoid more disharmony and rancour among party faithfuls.
He said he was aware of the selfish intentions of some elements in the party to force their interest on party faithfuls and vowed not to be intimidated, adding that if the issue of the delegates list is not handled properly, there will be more crisis in the party.
“I observed with dismay the recent happenings in our party where a group of persons are trying to maneuver the process.
“This has resulted in many candidates having bought the form, passed through the screening processes but at the end, they sense some irregularities especially with respect to multiple and consistent act of substituting the original list of delegates that were obtained from the congresses by the party.
“The group of persons engaging in this act use the the national secretariat of our party unfortunately to substitute the list of delegates in the state to favour certain candidates leading to many candidates putting up letters of withdrawal,” he said.
He explained that the change of the party’s original delegates list was the reason for the disruption of the party’s Nasarawa West Senatorial District electoral process and warned he would take every step legally possible to ensure that he is not frustrated out of any contest like other aspirants who tendered letters of withdrawal.
“In my own case, I remain resolute and I am going to participate in this process till the end.
“What happened yesterday is that there was supposed to be a run off election in Lafia which involves delegates from Toto and Nasarawa local governments and all the 65 delegates from Toto and 70 delegates from Nasarawa were in Lafia for the primary election for the Nasarawa/Toto House of Representatives ticket and the State House of Assembly of Nasarawa Central constituency ticket.
“After waiting for days for the Nasarawa West Senatorial District primary election to hold to no avail, the electoral officer knowing that the 135 delegates who will also vote in the Nasarawa West Senatorial District primary election are not in Keffi now rushed to Keffi to conduct the primaries,” he said.
He further explained that his campaign team got to the venue of the election, discovered that fake delegates queued up to substitute the 135 original delegates currently in Lafia for the run off elections ongoing there and quickly raised alarm over the strange faces.
“When I go to the venue, I met fake delegates who were hurriedly issued booklets of party membership cards. So I raised an observation that we can not do the election because some delegates were not around but the electoral officer insisted that every delegate was available including those of Toto and Nasarawa local government areas who were still in Lafia for the other elections.
“I was surprised because I know those delegates are still busy in Lafia. So I immediately put a call to Governor Abdullahi Sule on what was happening and he enquired from the state APC chairman and Secretary who were currently with him on the current location of the delegates from Toto and Nasarawa local government areas and they responded that the delegates were still in Lafia.
“Then he said the election could not go on but the electoral officer insisted that the election must hold. It was at that point the process was disrupted,” he said.
Magaji then assured that despite the current events, he still remains a loyal member of APC and an aspirant contesting for the party’s ticket for Nasarawa West Senatorial District
“But I want to reemphasize that no election has been conducted. If they go to anywhere and conduct election, that election is a nullity and I am going to challenge that election anywhere. So I am not withdrawing from the contest. I remain an aspirant and we will fight it to the end,” he said.
He however added that as a law abiding party member, he would also wait and hear what the party would say concerning the Nasarawa West Senatorial District primary election.
