Thousands of members of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), in Bauchi State supporting the gubernatorial aspiration of Nura Manu Soro, on Thursday, staged a peaceful protest demanding fair and just conduct of the gubernatorial primaries of the party.
The supporters who displayed their membership cards of the APC, stormed Bauchi town from the 20 LGAs of the State, demanded that the Committee saddled with the responsibility of conducting the primary elections should ensure that the guidelines were duly followed.
The protesters were however not allowed to access the State Secretariat of the party as the entire premises was condoned off by fully armed Police operatives while the Maiduguri bypass leading to the Secretariat was barricaded.
Addressing the Journalists later, one of the Directors of the Nura Manu Soro Campaign Organization for 2027, Dr Auwalu Babajada said that, “Purposely, this population you are seeing here., was invited because we realized that the conduct of the primaries is not what it used to be and we realized that people sit at home in the comfort of their three sweaters and decide the fate of any aspirant.”
He added that,”This has come to our notice and we have a lot of samples and examples that we no longer accept that. That is why we engaged three vehicles from each ward, 212 wards, for which they are here. The aim and objective of their coming here is for them to move back with the election materials, because if the election materials are being carried and controlled by each of the Wards where the elections are going to be conducted, I think it will be done properly and we will not have fear of any election malpractice.”
“That was why we invited them, they are here for peace and they are here for unity and we believe from the day they arrived here up to the moment I’m talking to you, there was not any incident of fight or quarrel or anything that the opposition used to say,” he added.
Auwalu Babajada added that,”So, we are here for peaceful protest and to purposely demand for our rights of which every person living in Bauchi State knows that this is the way and manner in previous elections, that the primary elections we conducted. So that was why they are here to protect the election materials and to take the votes.”
He however insinuated that,” We are seeing a scenario where someone will fold his trousers, hide the papers there and run to Command Guest House to declare the results. That, we will not allow under any circumstances.”
” If it is something that is free and fair, why hide it, just call the Agents of the 5 aspirants, give them the election materials and let them take it to their various wards and after the exercise, it will be declared there and the agents will duly sign and accept the results sheets before it is taken to Bauchi for collation, that is how real elections are conducted “
“And after counting the votes, whosoever won, we are hereby ever ready to accept it, whether positive or negative. Thank you,” he concluded.
Also speaking, Dr. Hassan Aliyu Abdullahi, said that, the people gathered are those aggrieved by the conduct of the National Assembly primary elections during which no election was conducted anywhere in the State.
He added that, the people are not ready to sit and watch similar thing happen in the gubernatorial primary election, that was the reason they trooped to Bauchi to see the officials.
Hassan Aliyu Abdullahi stated that, “The officials and a few people in the APC are afraid because they don’t have people are the grassroots, they just want to impose a candidate on us, that we will not allow here in Bauchi State.”
He then called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and National Chairman of the APC, Prof Nentawe Yilwatda to ensure that fairness and justice play out in the conduct of the exercise.
According to him,”Already, the APC is in crisis in the entire Northern Nigeria, we should look for the way out, not aggravating the situation.”
About Author
