As political parties intensify plans for the forthcoming February 2022 Federal Capital Territory ( FCT) Area Councils’ elections, the leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has read a riot act to aggrieved members and party executive against jeopardising the party’s chances in the election.
In particular, the Party warned that anyone bent on taking measures against its collective interest will automatically face the wrath of the Disciplinary action of the party.
Making this assertion known while briefing journalists on the recent happenings in APC in FCT, Abdulmalik Ahmed Usman, Chairman of APC in FCT, said all will be treated according to the constitution of the party, warning that no one is allowed at this time to suspend, expel or take any disciplinary action that would undermine the peaceful existence of the party in FCT.
“I will like the people of FCT particularly APC members to know that primary election has come and gone, what we are expecting now or strategising for is the general election. So this is not the time to suspend, expel or whatever disciplinary action should be taken against anybody.
“The primary also is one of the best ever held in the party. All the qualified candidates (Aspirants) photographs were taken, because the mode of the election in our primary is indirect primary, whereby the Party Delegates were used to elect their respresentatives.
“All the primaries were conducted free, fair, transparent and credible.
“The second process is the appeal, where complaints are taken. And the Appeal Committee sat and came up with a different results from what we have in the Primaries in two area Councils, which are AMAC and Abaji.
“As a party faithfuls and a party leader, we listened to our leaders.
“The Appeal Committee were assigned from the national, and as such their report had to be given to the national, and the result of the report is that the person declared as the winner of the Primary in AMAC was done by error, because what they found out was some ballot papers were thump printed on the photograph of a candidate, which was rejected when they were sorting out the votes during the primary.
“But, now the committee brought it back and recounted it for the other candidate who was declared (winner) by the Appeal committee. That’s the situation that we are at now. And the National has already sent and forwarded the name (Candidate) to INEC, and that is what is in place now.
“The candidate declared winner in Abaji is Abubakar Abdullahi Umar, and that of Kwali is Boboi Chiya; Gwagwalada is Abubakar Giri; Hamid Sarki is for Kuje; Chokoi Liuo is for Bwari; and here in AMAC is Murktala Usman as the candidate for the council’s chairmanship.
“The leadership of this party is calling on all the aggrieved members to remain calm and peaceful as the party will see how they can be taken care of.
“This is the time of healing, sobering and telling people that power is from God. We call on all the members of the APC in FCT to remain calm and peaceful. A committee is in place and it’s sitting with critical stakeholders to profer solution to the present situation in the party in FCT.
“It’s set up by the National Caretaker Chairman, the Governor of Yobe State, under the leadership of the Governor of Kogi State, and Governor of Nasarawa State as a member with an Honourable of the National Assembly as secretary of the Committee.”
Emmanuel Ukoh