APC members protest against alleged imposition at LG primaries

The Police in Kaduna State averted what could have led to break down of law and order due to alleged imposition of candidates by the All Progressives Congress (APC) ahead of the May 2018 local council polls.

Specifically, pandemonium broke out in Igabi Local Council as members of the party protested alleged imposition of some candidates ahead of the election.

Trouble started on Monday when APC chairmen of the 12 wards in the area in collaboration with councillorship candidates protested against the just concluded primary elections.

Besides, the angry party members had gathered at Afaka Ward in continuation of protests, but the deployment of Operation Yaki officials prevented what could have resulted in breakdown of law and order.

The security personnel dispersed the protesters who later regrouped at Afaka/Mando Police Outpost, where the leaders of the group held a closed-door meeting with the officer-in-charge.

Speaking, APC Women Leader in the ward, Hajia Talatu said they “are angry in Afaka because they converged as early as 7am for the primaries, only to be told that the ballot boxes had been snatched.”

“Here in Afaka, we did not vote in the primaries. In the entire Igabi Local Council there were no primaries. We are angry to hear that some people have been announced as winners in a primary election that did not hold,” she said.

Also speaking, an APC member in Igabi council area, Tasiu Musa, said there was nothing like APC councillorship primary election in the council because some people snatched the ballot boxes.

He appealed to Governor Nasir el-Rufai and other top party leaders to intervene and ensure fairness and equity in the party by conducting credible primaries in the council area.

Meanwhile, the Concerned Citizens of Kaduna has criticised Senate’s rejection of the $350 million foreign loan request by Governor Nasir El-Rufai and have threatened to recall the three senators representing the state at the National Assembly.

The group said the World Bank had already approved the loan for disbursement to states and as such, the senators’ decision to deny Kaduna State the foreign loan was unpatriotic.

The group said during a press conference at the state branch of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) that they rejected and condemned the Senate’s position to block the ‘progress’ of Kaduna State by rejecting a legitimate request by a state government that has fulfilled World Bank’s requirements for the loan.

Coordinator of the group, Abdulazeez Musa pointed out that the huge infrastructure deficit in the education, health and road sectors necessitated the governor’s decision to declare a state of emergency in the education sector.