Shuaibu urges APC to nullify primary election

An aspirant for the Bauchi south senatorial bye election under the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Alhaji Ahmed Shuaibu who lost to Lawal Yahya Gumau at the party’s primary election last week has appealed to the national headquarters of the party to nullify the exercise over alleged irregularities.
In his petition letter, copies of which he released to journalists in Bauchi shortly after addressing a press conference, Shuaibu alleged that delegates who voted at the primary election were influenced by the state Governor, Mohammed Abubakar to choose either Lawal Yahya Gumau or Dr.
Danjuma Dabo.
The two aspirants hail from Toro local government.
According to him, the governor also asked delegates to give him only seven votes during the election to ensure he was not returned as party’s candidate for the August 11th bye election.
He said: “During the conduct of the said primary election, the following electoral malpractices, irregularities and violation of rules and regulations were deliberately committed by a group of unpatriotic members of our party under the instructions of Governor Mohammed Abdullahi Abubakar of Bauchi state.
” That a great number of Governor Abubakar’s political appointees and other party officials were seen at the venue of the election threatening the delegates that if they did not return the anointed aspirant of the governor as winner, they would lose their party leadership position and other privileges.
” That when it was time for the balloting, none of the delegates was allowed to cast his/her votes personally, Rather, the said political appointees and other party officials, staunchly loyal to Governor Abubakar were variously designated and stationed by ballot boxes and instructed to be casting votes on behalf of the real delegates,” the letter reads.