By Umaru Shehu ,
Minna
Trouble plaguing the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) over Senatorial and House of Representatives primaries in Niger State has continued to increase as another contestant, Alhaji Jafaru Ilyasu, has threatened to sue the party over his loss.
Alhaji Jafaru, the presumed winner of the House of Representatives primaries for Magama-Rijau Federal constituency said that he was not happy or ready to accept the substitution of his name with that of Alhaji Shehu Saleh, whom he said did not contest for the party primaries.
Jafaru, who said that he could not understand what the ruling party was turning into by the high level of impunity against all known democratic norms, disclosed that a team of lawyers had commenced legal battle to reclaim his stolen mandate today (Monday).
His words: “My stolen mandate, the legal battle starts today.”
Alhaji Jafaru Ilyasu added that the APC substituting his name with that of Hon. Shehu Saleh Rijau (Slow) at the point of submission of candidates’ lists to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Abuja was unacceptable to him, stressing,
“Shehu Saleh did not purchase the expression of interest and nomination forms to seek for this House of Representatives; he only collected forms to contest for the Senatorial ticket and lost out.
“This in itself has disqualified Shehu Saleh from contesting for the House of Representatives ticket. He cannot contest for Senatorial ticket and when he lost out, the next thing I learnt was that he was now on the list submitted to the INEC.”
Describing the developments as anti-democratic tenets killing the ruling APC, Jafaru said, “All these mago mago and desperation further disqualify him from flying the party’s flag as a candidate running for the seat of House of Representatives”.
“As far as Magama-Rijau Federal constituency is concerned, Shehu Saleh only purchased form to vie for the Zone ‘C’ senatorial seat and was floored at the primaries. I wonder what miracle that is making him to believe he can reap benefits from where he did not sow”.
Jafaru however warned the APC national secretariat to rescind from anything that would tarnish the image of the party of complete destruction ahead of the 2019 polls.
“I have heard that some people are trying to collect form for him to fill through the back door, this must not happen”.
Besides, Jafaru vowed, “We will fight this injustice to the last. We left the PDP because of injustice. We cannot now come and suffer the same injustice in a party that preaches change but doing the opposite.
“What we are witnessing today is broad day light robbery and most unfortunate act. The only way to peace is for me to get my mandate back.”
Meanwhile, his supporters on Saturday staged a peaceful demonstration in Minna, the state capital, against his substitution.
Jafaru Ilyasu brings to two the number of aspirants’ supporters that had protested against ‘unjustifiable’ substitution.
Recall that Alhaji Sani Musa, the acclaimed winner of the Niger-East senatorial ticket of the APC, also threatened to seek legal redress over his substitution with serving Senator, David Umaru, while Senator Mustapha Sani Mohammed quit the APC for similar reasons.
