APC panel begs aggrieved Bauchi, Gombe members to withdraw suits filed against party
[File] Governor Mohammed Abdullahi Abubakar of Bauchi State
The All Progressives Congress (APC) National Peace and Reconciliation Committee (North East) has begged all the aggrieved members in Bauchi and Gombe states to withdraw court cases against the party, promising to do justice to their grievances.
At a meeting to reconcile the aggrieved members of the two states, a senatorial aspirant and former governor in Gombe State, John Laserus Yorio, alleged inconclusive voting, open vote-buying,He said that after the primaries, the aggrieved members had been in talks with the opposition parties.
In Bauchi, there are 28 aggrieved members who contested various positions and believe they had been robbed by the party. A former Minister of Police Affairs, Dr. Ibrahim Yakubu Lame, who contested the governorship seat insisted that for justice to be done by the committee, democratic process must be followed. “I believe there was no primary elections in Bauchi,” he said.
Another gubernatorial aspirant, Capt. Bala Jibrin (rtd) insisted that the party should sanction the governor for anti- party activities. “He want us out of the state. It’s not possible,” Jibrin said. A senatorial aspirant in Bauchi, Dr. Safiya Iliyasu, claimed she was already leading the primary elections before she heard the officials saying “how come a woman would lead us, something must be done to stop her.”
Safiya said she had been approached by some opposition parties to be their deputy governorship candidate and vice presidential candidate but rejected the offers to remain in APC.
The Governor of Bauchi State, Mohammad Abdullahi Abubakar said for peace to have its way in the party, he had called all the aggrieved members to unite and work for the victory of the APC.He told the chairman of the reconciliation committee (North East), Governor Umaru Tanko Almakura of Nasarawa State who was in Bauchi that he had started the peace move within the state, noting that some members decided to stay while some had decamped to opposition parties.
“Our two religions wholeheartedly believe that it is God who gives power. In that case, I had placed a direct calls to all the aggrieved (APC) members to come together like our party emblem (broom) to ensure victory in the next general elections,” he said.
Almakura had earlier stated that his committee was given “mandate of identifying areas of conflict, identifying aggrieved members, providing acceptable solutions and restoring confidence and trust among the party members in the North East region.
“At the end, some people will accept while some will not. I want to tell you that we lack the power to adjudicate, confiscate any aspirant. I promise you that this committee will be just,” he said.
