Group wants Sokoto APC council congress cancelled
Barely two days after the local government congresses of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Sokoto State, a group of politicians from Sabon Birni local government yesterday called for the cancellation of the chairmanship election in the area.
The politicians said the election that saw the emergence of Alhaji Yawale Sarkin Baki as the chairman of the party in Sabon Birni contravened the consensus agreement earlier reached which favoured Alhaji Bala Dan-Arewa who was defeated at the election.
Spokesman of the group, Alhaji Aminu Boza described the election as null, void and unconstitutional, which should be cancelled, saying Dan-Arewa got four votes against the two scored by Sarkin-Baki during an “election “by the consensus committee.
He said that they had filed a petition before the APC local governments’ congresses appeal committee formed by the state chapter of the party, challenging the election.
When contacted, the interim chairman of the party in the state, Barrister Inuwa Abdulkadir, confirmed receiving the complaint and that they were attending to it.
But chairman of the council, Alhaji Idris Muhammed Gobir, discribed their claim as “baseless”, adding that the election was constitutional.
Gobir stated that the election of the chairman was won by Sarkin-Baki who got 253 votes as against Dan-Arewa’s16 votes.
“The election was conducted during the congress on April 12 and it was open and transparent. It had not contravened the constitution of the APC and the alleged earlier election by the so-called consensus committee was inconclusive.
“That was why consensus was reached in the 36 other posts, while election was conducted in respect of the chairmanship, and it was won by Yawale Sarkin-Baki,” he said.
Daily Trust reports that 30 people initially vied for the APC chairmanship in Sabon Birni, but along the line 25 withdrew. Another three stepped down just few hours to the election, leaving only two contestants, Sarkin Baki and Bala Dan-Arewa, with the former emerging as winner.