APC primaries: Group wants Mokwa, Lavun, Edati Federal Constituency cancelled

A group under the auspices of Abdullahi Usman Gbatamangi Campaign Organisation Team has one Tuesday called on the All Progressives Congress in Niger State to cancel the primary election in Mokwa, Lavun and Edati Federal Constituency due to irregularities and malpractices.

This was contained in a petition signed by one of the aspirants, Hon. Abdullahi Usman Gbatamangi, to the state Chairman of the APC, Engr. Mohammed Jibril Imam, dated October 6, 2018, which was made available to journalists in Minna.

The petition called for the release of the authentic result that must reflect the opinion of the people.

The petition, with the title: “Petition against irregularities and malpractices at Gbangban, Gonagi, Sakpe and Rokota wards under Edati local government and collation of results at the collation centre at Edati local government collation centre,” called for the cancellation of the affected named wards.

It said there were no elections in those wards but merely fabricated results in favour of an aspirant, hence the denial of fair play and disenfranchising, just as the party guidelines and constitution were breached.

Gbatamangi said his agents who were not allowed into the collation centre at Edati were beaten, assaulted and sustained various degrees of injuriese with their tags seized.

He further alleged that officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission were absent throughout the collation process at Edati Local Government Area collation center without explanation.

In the same vein, the APC Chairman and Secretary in the Federal Constituency, Alhaji Suleiman Usman and Abdullahi Ndako respectively, signed a letter of complaint dated October 6, 2018 to the state Chairman of the party on same issue.

Their petition reads: “APC, Edati local government security report on the House of representatived primary elections held on 5/10/3018. There was no primary elections in Rokota, Gbangban and Gazie wards in Edati due to crisis.”

It also stated that in Sakpe and Gonagi wards, some supporters of a particular aspirant seized results from the electoral/returning officers and fabricated new results in favour of an aspirant.”