APC majority leader, commissioner escape death at Nasarawa primary

• Youths reject the imposition of the candidate as Borno opts for consensus • Party not united in Kwara

Majority Leader, Nasarawa State House of Assembly, Umaru Tunga, and Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Yusuf Aliyu, were nearly lynched by political thugs at the primary election of All Progressives Congress (APC) in Awe Local Council.

The primary election scheduled to produce chairmanship candidates for the October 6, 2021 council election in the state turned violent when Tunga and Aliyu allegedly tried to disrupt the electoral process.

There was a clash when supporters of the chairmanship aspirant, Umaru Dan’Akano, who was reportedly leading at the poll, accused his opponent, Usman Umaru, of plotting to rig the election.

Yusuf Dogara, an aide to the immediate past chairman of the local council, told journalists that the majority leader and the commissioner masterminded the hijack of the peaceful and transparent election, which earlier did not favour their preferred aspirant, Umaru.

Efforts to reach Tunga on the alleged plot proved abortive.

In another development, APC supporters under the aegis of Progressives Youth Movement (PYM) have moved against imposing consensus candidates, saying it is an undemocratic decision that will cause a split in the already delicate party.

According to PYM, it is the turn of the youths to take over the leadership of the political party and urged the caretaker committee to uphold the Constitution.

It maintained that all party positions must be occupied through free and fair elections and the party constitution upheld in all circumstances.

BUT Borno State APC adopted the consensus mode of elections at the ward, council, and state levels.

The decision was taken on Tuesday during the party’s stakeholders meeting held at the Multi-Purpose Hall of Government House, Maiduguri.

The Deputy Governor, Usman Kadafur, moved the motion, which was seconded by Alhaji Abdu of the House of Assembly.

The adoption of the mode of election was also put to voice vote where all the stakeholders, including federal and state lawmakers, gave their assent.

Governor Babagana Zulum urged stakeholders to ensure that party rules and regulations were strictly adhered to during the congresses slated for Saturday, July 31, 2021.

THE proposed APC ward congress in Kwara State may run into hitches, as members of a faction have threatened to boycott the event.

The APC in Kwara is reportedly divided along with supporters of Governor AbdulRahaman AbdulRazak and those of Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed.

The two factions have separate chairmen and different secretariats.

Chairman of the faction loyal to the governor, Abdullahi Samari, had on Tuesday appealed to the APC members in the state to make the event all-inclusive.

He spoke while welcoming members of the congress committee from the National Secretariat led by its chairman, Shuaib Umar, to Ilorin.

But the former chairman of the party in the state, Chief Iyiola Oyedepo, yesterday told The Guardian that Samari was merely addressing members of his own faction and not the entire APC members in the state. He was, however, silent on whether or not his faction would organise a parallel congress.

Oyedepo, a former Chief Whip of the House of Assembly is on the side of Mohammed.