2023: Aspirant rejects Kogi APC Central Senatorial Primary

An Aspirant in the just concluded All Progressive Congress, APC Primaries in Kogi Central Senatorial District, Hajia Ramatu Tasalla Shehu, has rejected the outcome of the party primary, which produced Engr. Sadiq Abubakar Ohere as APC candidate for Kogi Central, saying: "There was no primaries conducted in the district".

Speaking during the press conference held in Lokoja on Tuesday May 31, Hajia Ramatu, who was represented by Yusuf Adeku Abdulkadiri, said the election cannot stand, urging the APC to be prepared to conduct a new primary.

Ramatu, dissociated herself from what she described as a Kangaroo Primary, noting that she would head to the Appeal Committee to seek redress for the alleged injustice meted on her during the primary.

The aspirant pointed out that the Returning Officer, Alhaji Yahaya Karaku, a political Appointee under Governor Yahaya Bello, breached the rule making the election unlawful and unconstitutional.

She said: "As aspirants, Alh Dalhatu Sheriff and I, were never at any time allowed access to the list of delegates, nor were we obliged with copies. There was no accreditation of the delegates. When we requested for the reason why they were not accredited, we were informed that they have been accredited by their respective Local Government Chairmen. 

"We were still in shock that Alhaji Yahaya Karaku is the Returning Officer, contrary to APC Guidelines. This is a gross aberration of the rules. As soon as the voting was meant to start, a female delegate came forward and collected the ballot paper and walked to SSA Security Okene LGA Mr Zubairu Amoka, to start writing out the names of the preferred candidate, Ohere on behalf of the delegates, which we objected to. But we were ignored.

" In-spite of our persistent insistence that due process must be followed and that the guidelines must be complied with, they failed and refused to acknowledge our protests. Thereafter, we decided to stage a walk out on protest".

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