The Guardian (Nigeria)

Zamfara, Plateau APC groups flay planned imposition of candidates

- From Adamu Abuh ( Abuja) and Isa Abdulsalam­i Ahovi ( Jos)

THE All Progressiv­es Congress Youth Solidarity Network ( APC- YSN) has cried out over alleged moves by chieftains of the party in Zamfara State to impose unpopular candidates on the party.

In a petition made available to The Guardian, the group claimed that delegates to the party primaries had already been handpicked by those hell- bent on imposing candidates against the wishes of the people.

The petition signed by

Mallam Suleiman Musa of the Guardian of Democracy and Developmen­t Initiative ( GODDI) argued that the machinatio­n contravene­d Section 84 of the Electoral Act 2022 on Nomination of Candidates by Parties.

The group called on the Independen­t National Electoral Commission ( INEC), National Security Adviser ( NSA), Inspector- General of Police ( IGP), Director- General, Department of State Services ( DSS), APC and the internatio­nal community to wade into the issue.

It noted: “There are incontrove­rtible evidence that the

Electoral Act 2022, APC Constituti­on and the Constituti­on of the Federal Republic of Nigeria are being abused to muscle out other aspirants and pave way for anointed candidates, as if we are practicing monarchial system of government as opposed to democracy.

“We have establishe­d, beyond reasonable doubts, that delegates to party primaries have already been handpicked by those hellbent on imposing candidates against the collective will of Zamfara citizens, in clear violation of extant laws governing conduct of party primaries.”

S

IMILARLY, Plateau APC Elders Advisory Council has frowned on the planned imposition of candidates on the party, contrary to the tenets of democracy all over the world.

The council stressed that the position had been agitating the people of the state, thereby heating up the polity unnecessar­ily.

In a statement, yesterday, the Acting Chairman, Danladi Wuyep, noted that APC had already come out with guidelines on how its members would conduct themselves in the forthcomin­g primaries.

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