2023: APC losing Kebbi to opposition – Group warns

A group operating under the aegis of “The Concern APC Members/Supporters in Aliero/Gwandu/Jega Federal Constituency, Kebbi State Forum”, has raised the alarm of the likelihood of the All Progressives Congress losing election to the opposition in 2023 due to anti-democratic tendencies of some people.

In a statement on Thursday 16th June, 2022, the group called on President Muhammadu Buhari, APC National Chairman, Senator Abdullahi Adamu, APC National Deputy Chairman, North, Senator Abubakar Kyari, APC National Vice Chairman, North West Salihu Lukman, and APC Kebbi State Chairman, Abubakar Kana to quickly take decisive action in order to halt all sharp practices, actions and tendencies that will undermine the success of the party in the next year general election.

In a statement signed by the forum’s Chairman, Usman Ibrahim and Secretary Mohammed Aliyu said “attempt to substitute candidates who have won the primary election conducted by the leadership of the party for whatever interest is uncalled for, unacceptable and capable of widening the crisis in the party.

“Due to the crisis in our party, the former governor of our state, Kebbi State, Senator Adamu Aliero, Senate Leader, Senator Abdullahi Yahaya and several others have left the party to PDP and other parties.

“The waves of defection will continue if actions of certain individuals capable of killing the party are not checked.

“We are aware of moves in our state capital and Abuja to substitute candidates who have won the recent primary election for State House of Assembly and National Assembly on the ground that they are loyal to either Senator Aliero and Senator Yahaya. This action is not acceptable to us as it is capable of undermining our chances in the 2023 general election.

“For instance, Hon. Muhammad Umar Jega who is representing Aliero/Gwandu/Jega Federal Constituency has stated clearly that he is not decamping to any political party, noting that he is a bonafide member of APC and that he will contest the parliamentary election in 2023 under the platform of APC.

“In the election that produced Jega as the flagbearer of the party for the National Assembly Election next year, delegation of our party from the national and state headquarters as well as INEC officials and security operatives conducted and monitored the election.

“We see no reason, for somebody like Jega who got 146 votes to be substituted with somebody who got only 1 vote in the election.

“We also considered the purported parallel primaries by some group of individuals as further attempt not to only kill the party in the constituency and the entire state but to bury it.

“We hereby call on our party leaders to do the needful by halting all these sharp practices and anti-democratic actions in order to save our great party, APC.”