Wife of the President, Mrs Aisha Buhari, on Sunday, faulted the manner in which some of the primaries of the ruling All Progressives Congress were conducted.
She particularly took a swipe at the party’s National Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole, who she accused of allowing impunity under his watch.
Mrs Buhari made her position known in a series of tweets she posted on her verified Twitter handle, @aishambuhari, on Sunday.
She regretted that Oshiomhole, despite his activism background, could allow such a conduct under his leadership.
She said the conduct negated the principle of change that the APC stood for.
The President’s wife, whose brother contested the governorship primary in Adamawa State and lost to the incumbent, however, did not mention the specific cases she was referring to.
She, however, called on Nigerians to rise against impunity and for voters to demand from aspirants to be committed to the provision of basic amenities.
Mrs Buhari said, “It is disheartening to note that some aspirants used their hard-earned money to purchase nomination forms, got screened, cleared and campaigned vigorously yet found their names omitted on election day. These forms were bought at exorbitant prices.
“Many others contested and yet had their result delayed, fully knowing that automatic tickets had been given to other people.
“The All Progressives Congress, being a party whose cardinal principle is change and headed by a comrade/ activist whose main concern is for the common man, yet, such impunity could take place under his watch.
“It is important for the populace to rise against impunity and for voters to demand from aspirants to be committed to the provision of basic amenities such as potable water, basic health care (Primary Health Care centres)
“Given this development, one will not hesitate than dissociate from such unfairness, be neutral and speak for the voiceless.
“Education within conducive and appropriate learning environments. Let us vote wisely! Long live the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
When contacted, the acting National Publicity Secretary of the APC, Yekini Nabena, said he had not seen Aisha’s tweets and as such could not respond.
He said, “I have not seen it (tweets). I cannot react to something I have not seen.”
Though a screen grab of the tweet was sent to him, a response was still being awaited from him as of 5: 53 pm when this report was filed.
Governor Bundow of Adamawa State emerged the winner of the disputed governorship primary in the state.
Bindow polled 193,656 votes in the direct primary to defeat Mahmood Halilu, Aisha Buhari’s younger brother and Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, a former Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, who polled 15,498 and 7,705 votes respectively.
The results, declared by the chairman of the 25-member electoral panel, Jibrin Ahmed, came amidst controversy, following calls for the cancellation of the primary by Ribadu and Mahmood earlier on.
Both Ribadu and Mahmood, who stated their rejection of the outcome of the primary election, attributed their decision to the irregularities which they said marred the exercise.
Mahmood, who addressed journalists on Saturday, dismissed the primary as a charade, saying “even if I am declared the winner, my conscience will not allow me to accept it.”
He stated, “It is surprising that the guidelines were flouted with impunity to the extent that an electoral officer, Mr Peter Nwadozie, who supervised the exercise in the Mubi North Local Government Area, announced the result of the election and declared one of the aspirants as the winner in camera.
“Even before the commencement of the exercise and arrival of materials, government officials were on social media posting outcome of the election that did not take place.
“I will not accept this result, even if it favours me because the whole process has been compromised.”
In Ekiti State, an APC senatorial aspirant for Ekiti North Senatorial District, Chief Kayode Otitoju, demanded cancellation of the results, if he would not be declared the winner.
Otitoju, who alleged that the primary was fraught with fraud and irregularities, urged the National Working Committee of the party to consider his demand in the interest of the party to avoid a legal action.
A former member of the Senate, Olubunmi Adetumbi, had been returned as the winner in the primary.
Adetumbi was said to have polled 21,763 in the direct primary conducted by the Dr Ibrahim Sule-led APC Senatorial Primary Committee in the state, on Friday.
Registering his protest at the APC Secretariat in Ado Ekiti on Sunday, the former state’s Commissioner for Information claimed that no election was held in the five local governments that constituted the district.
He said, “There are two options left for the party under this circumstance; it is either they order a rerun of the primary by not recognising Senator Adetumbi or declare me the winner on personal recognition.”
We have no candidate yet in Ondo, say aspirants
Some House of Representatives and House of Assembly aspirants on the platform of the APC in Ondo State have called on the national leadership of the party to conduct a fresh primary for Akoko North-East/ Akoko North-West Federal Constituency of the state.
The aspirants, who are 13 in number, condemned the statement credited to the state chairman of the party, Mr Ade Adetimehin, that a peaceful election was held in the federal constituency and the candidate had emerged, last week.
In a statement jointly signed by the aggrieved aspirants on Sunday, they demanded a fresh election for the real candidate of the party to emerge.
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