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 the riot act to aggrieved members and party executives.
They were warned not to jeopardise 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 committee of the party.
Making this assertion while briefing journalists on the recent happenings in APC, chairman of the party in FCT, Abdulmalik Ahmed Usman, said everybody 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.
“The party executive, the structure from the ward up to the local government and that of the state should know that the party loves all of you.
“And the party at the national level is doing all it could to see that you are all taken care of. But one thing remains, you should be one hundred percent loyal to the process and the leadership of the party.
“Politics is about interest. We know that some people’s interest was infringed upon, but the best thing is for us to remain calm.
“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), their photographs were taken, because the mode of the election in our primary is indirect primary, whereby the party delegates were used to elect their representatives.
“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 different results from what we have in the primaries in two area councils, which are AMAC and Abaji.
As a party faithful and a party leader, we listen to our leaders.
“The Appeal Committee were assigned from the national, and as such their report has 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 is the situation that we are now. And the national has already sent and forwarded the name 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; Shekowolo Audi Haruna is for Bwari; and here in AMAC is Murtala Usman Yamarayi.”
