Despite the consensus arrangement by the leadership/stakeholders of the All Progressive Congress (APC) in Kano State, there were elections in at least two local government areas in the state.
The parallel arrangement, which saw winners emerge after elections, were observed in Kano Municipal and Tofa local government areas during the party’s LG Congress.
These two local governments are the base of two House of Representatives members from the state, who are currently at loggerheads with Governor Abdullahi Ganduje.
The lawmakers are: Sha’aban Sharada (Kano Municipal) and Tijjani Abdulkadir Jobe (Tofa).
Addressing journalists at Tofa Local Government after the conduct of the exercise, the member representing Dawakin Tofa, Rimingado and Tofa Federal Constituency, Tijjani Abdulkadir Jobe, said “What we did was not affirmation but election.
“You don’t hold party election in your room or in government owned building (Govt House). You have to go back to the people, let them decide what they want. Every member of the party has to be part of the system. Once you ask people not to participate, that means we do not have democracy. And what we have been championing is the course of democracy.
“So what we are doing is to let the people decide for themselves and not what we want. So what we have done is to allow the people to decide for all of us and with that we know we are on sound footing.”
Also reacting, the member representing Kano Municipal Federal Constituency, Sha’aban Sharada, said similar election took place across all the 44 local government areas.
“I am happy with the fact that the people came out enmasse to exercise their rights because I am sure that the election took place in all the 44 LGAs because party members under the Buhari Support Organization (BSO) led by Alhaji Shehu Dalhatu purchased the forms and were allowed to exercise their rights.
“We would not succumb to situation where few clique of people would now decide for the majority of the party members,” Sha’aban said.
However, the secretary to the caretaker committee in the state, Zakari Sarina
told journalists that as far as the party leadership in the state was concerned there was no election but affirmation as agreed by the party’s stakeholders.
According to him “It was agreed by the stakeholders last week during a meeting presided over by Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje for the party to adopt consensus arrangement.
“As far as the party is concerned, no local government held any election. Even the representatives from the National headquarters said they went to Tofa, Municipal, Sumaila and about seven local government and they witnessed that (affirmation).
“Nobody held any gathering in the name of election. If there is anyone, we will know.”
