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By Francis Nansak, Keffi
In politics, especially in the Nigeria context, clashes of Interest from those seeking electorates’ votes at all levels, leading to declaration of a winners, could not be totally waved off, either within a political party that has many interested persons vying for a particular seat in the 2023 general election.
The ruling All Progressive Congress (APC), governing Nigeria at the moment with President Muhammadu Buhari at the helm of affairs and 21 APC governors, came into power in 2015 after sacking the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)-led administration of Goodluck Jonathan.
The APC since then has had some records of successes in managing its internal crises from 2015 all through to 2018, conducted its primary elections that again gave a second chance to President Muhammadu Buhari to contest in 2019.
Buhari won the election in a keen contests with former Vice President Alhaji Atiku Abubakar of the PDP.
Under the said period the ruling APC was enmeshed in leadership scandals where its first national chairman, Dr John Oyegun was, like his successor, Comrade Adams Oshomhole were ousted out of office.
However, narrowing it such issues to Nasarawa State, the home state of the current National Chairman of the APC, Senator Abdullahi Adamu, though many viewed his election more of “imposition”, the conduct of primaries in Nasarawa State under his watched has been was characterized with irregularities, alleged injustices and upright alterations of authentic delegates list.
These caused frictions and unrests leading withdrawal of interest by top politicians who had earlier indicated their interest to vie for political positions at different levels. Also, others aspirants and their supporters have defected from the APC to other other parties.
These moves have also been viewed by some political watchers as a big threat on the party and may cause the incumbent governor, Abdullahi Sule, losing a second term of office in 2023.
Major political players that were affected by these deliberate moves are Senator Godiya Akwashiki, Honourable Aliyu Ahmed Wadada and Honourable Jonathan Gaza.
Already, Wadada who withdrew his interest from contesting the Primary for the Nasarawa West Senatorial District is alleged to be planning his defection and may pick a Governorship ticket in the newly formed NNPP.
Political watchers had it that should Wadada finally defect from the APC and pick a ticket to contest against incumbent, Engineer Abdullahi Sule, it will be a bad precedent for Senator Adamu, the new APC national chairman who would have been seen to be setting an example for other states and apart from being a blow on the national chairman, APC could loss the 2023 election to the PDP as Wadada’s exist might divide the APC votes.
The race for the Senate from Nasarawa West Senatorial District earlier between Wadada, Barrister Labaran Magaji and Architect Shehu Tukur has been narrowed as a Wadada had withdrawn.
It is a common believe in some quarters that Architect Tukur was drafted into the race by the APC national chairman against Wadada and Magaji.
Consequent to Wadada’s withdrawal from the Nasarawa West Senate primary which was scheduled to take place last Saturday, May 28, 2022, was however marred by crisis leading to the postponement of the election to the next day, this rescheduling continued unabated.
However, briefing the press last Saturday, Barrister Magaji said the allegations which was preferred against him for recruiting thugs to disrupt the primary election at the convocation square of the Nasarawa State University, Keffi was not untrue and a cheap way to discredit his image.
He insisted that he will not be threatened to relinquished his quest for justice and true democracy anding that the delegates’ list was only a fresh list that was alleged to be from the national secretariat and can not be used as so doing will amount to disenfranchising the authentic delegates who were genuinely elected during the wards and local government congresses in 2021.
Barrister Magaji said he was not pursuing a selfish course but people oriented one. He vowed to stay on the race and fight for justice until the party reverts to fair play, justice, equity and the practice of true democracy and not imposition of candidate, saying he will go to any length.
The APC state chairman, Dr John D.W Mamman while briefing the press on the alleged doctored list, said to be from the national secretariat of the party, fingered the national executives for being behind the alterations as such will not be accepted.
Apex News Exclusive observed that while all these lasted, there were arrests of some persons who were alleged to be thugs.
As at the time filing this report, accreditation of delegates have begun as the electoral materials and officials for the conduct of the primary are all available as at against previous days.
The venue of the primary in the convocation square of Nasarawa State University, Keffi was cordoned by security men as voting began in earnest at about 12:30pm.
