Ten of the 21 aspirants at last Sunday’s All Progressive Congress (APC) gubernatorial primary elections in Borno State have petitioned the National Chairman of the party, calling for “the outright cancellation” of the results of the exercise over alleged irregularities.
The petition was copied to the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari and the Bornu State APC Electoral Committee.
The 10 aspirants – Baba Ahmed Jidda, Kashim Ibrahim Imam, Gambo Lawan, Umara Mohammed Kumalia, Umar Alkali, Attom Magira, Abba Jato, Mohammed Liman Chiroma, Mustapha Baba Shehuri and Idris Mamman Durkwa, signed the petition issued to newsmen on Tuesday in Maiduguri by Mustspha Baba Shehuri.
The petitioners listed ‘infractions’ in the conduct of the primaries to include: “The list of the delegates was not given to any of the aspirants up to the time of the primaries, which is a fundamental requirement of the primaries; The delegates were hoarded in locations not accessible to all the aspirants except the preferred aspirant.”
They also alleged that this electoral committee sent by the National Secretariat of the party to conduct the primaries did not meet with the aspirants to inform them of the procedures of the election; and all gubernatorial aspirants were denied movement to address delegates in the night preceding the election day on the pretext if a curfew.
“There were complaints from the delegates of Southern Borno that they were not allowed into the venue of the elections while fake delegates in uniform were brought in to vote for the aspirant endorsed by the governor,” Mudtspha Baba Shehuri, the Minister of State for Works, Power and Housing, complained to newsmen.
“We call for the outright cancellation of the results of the Borno State gubernatorial primary election by the National Secretariat of the party,” he said.
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