2nd October, 2018
Eight out of the 10 governorship aspirants of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Taraba on Tuesday called for cancellation of the party’s governorship primary election in the state due to alleged irregularities.
The Spokesman for the aggrieved aspirants, Chief David Kente, who made the call at a news conference in Jalingo, described the exercise as “a sham’’.
Kente alleged that some staff of the APC state secretariat connived with the other two governorship aspirants – Sen. Joel Ikenya and Alhaji Sani Abubakar – to hijack the process and doctor the results of the primary election.
“The primary election was a sham, characterised by thuggery, ballots and results snatching was the order of the day.
“There was massive violence in Jalingo, Wukari, Karim Lamido and Zing Local Government Areas in spite of the agreement we all signed to ensure a violent-free process.
“We, therefore, call on the National Secretariat and the State Executives of our party to declare the purported primary election conducted inconclusive and a fresh primary conducted in the state with neutral people presiding over the process.
“We also call for the disqualification of Abubakar and Ikenya for perpetrating violence during the process which goes contrary to the accord the 10 of us signed,’’ he said.
Kente said that the National Secretariat of the party could alternatively nominate anyone among the eight and the rest would support the person.
In his reaction, the Publicity Secretary of the party, Mr Aaron Artimas, said that the news conference would not stop the process.
Artimas said that aggrieved aspirants could utilise the window of the Appeal Panel of the party to address such issues arising from the election.