By Muhammad Tanimu, Abuja
As political parties intensify plans for the forthcoming February 2022 Federal Capital Territory ( FCT) Area Council elections, the leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has read the riot act to aggrieved members and party executives against jeopardising the party’s chances in the election.
In particular, the Party warned that anyone bent on taking measures against its collective interest will face the wrath of the party.
Making this assertion known while briefing some journalists on the recent happenings in APC in FCT, Abdulmalik Ahmed Usman, Chairman of APC in FCT, said all will be treated according to the constitution of the party, warning that no one is allowed at this time to suspend, expel or take any disciplinary action that would undermine the peaceful existence of the party in FCT.
“The party executive, the structure from the ward up to the local government and that of the state should know that the party loves all of you.
“And the party at the national level is doing all they could to see that you are all taken care of.
But one thing remains, you should be one hundred percent loyal to the process and the leadership of the party.
“Politics is about interest. We know that some people’s interest were infringed upon, but the best thing is for us to remain calm”, he stated.
He continued: “I will like the people of FCT particularly APC members to know that primary election has come and gone, what we are expecting now or strategising for is the general election. So this is not the time to suspend, expel or whatever disciplinary action should be taken against anybody.
“The primary also is one of the best ever held in the party. All the qualified candidates (Aspirants), their photographs were taken, because the mode of the election in our primary is indirect primary, whereby the party delegates were used to elect their respresentatives.
“All the primaries were free, fair, transparent and credible.
The second process is the appeal, where complaints are taken. And the Appeal Committee sat and came up with a different results from what we have in the Primaries in two area Councils, which are AMAC and Abaji.
As a party faithful and party leader, we listened to our leaders.
“The Appeal Committee were assigned from the national, and as such their report has to be given to the national, and the result of the report is that the person declared as the winner of the Primary in AMAC was done in error, because what they found out was some ballot papers were thump printed on the photograph of a candidate, which was rejected when they were sorting out the votes during the primary.
“But, now the committee brought it back and recounted it for the other candidate who was declared (winner) by the Appeal committee. That’s the situation that we are at now. And the National has already sent and forwarded the name (Candidate) to INEC, and that is what is in place now.
“The candidate declared winner in Abaji is Abubakar Abdullahi Umar, and that of Kwali is Boboi Chiya; Gwagwalada is Abubakar Giri; Hamid Sarki is for Kuje; Chokoi Liuo is for Bwari; and here in AMAC is Murtala Usman as the candidate for the council’s chairmanship.
“The leadership of this party is calling on all the aggrieved members to remain calm and peaceful as the party will see how they can be taken care of.
“This is the time of healing, sobering and telling people that power is from God. We call on all the members of the APC in FCT to remain calm and peaceful. A committee is in place, and it’s sitting with critical stakeholders with myself, the Minister of the FCT to the present situation in the party in FCT.
“It’s set up by the National Caretaker Chairman, the Governor of Yobe State, under the leadership of the Governor of Kogi State, and Governor of Nasarawa State as a member with an Honourable of the National Assembly as secretary of the Committee.”