By OLUSEGUN KOIKI, Lagos

A group of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Forum has petitioned Mal. Mala Buni, the Chairman of the Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC) over the alleged imposition of the opposition candidate in the party’s primary election in Jos, Plateau State.

The group, under the aegis of APC Forum, accused Ambassador Yahaya Kwande, a Board of Trustee member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), of attempting to impose his son, Honourable Suleiman Kwande, as the flagbearer of APC in the election to choose the party’s flag bearer in the forthcoming bye-election of Bassa/Jos North in Jos, Plateau State.

Comrade Shehu Mohammed, the Convener of the group, purported that the PDP chieftain manipulated the electoral process with the aim of destabilising and creating confusion in the ruling APC in the state.

According to the petition sighted by newsmen, the group called on Buni who is also the Governor of Yobe State to intervene and stop the sabotage aimed at creating disaffection among the peaceful Party faithful in Plateau State.

The petitioners accused Kwande as a high ranking member of the PDP and a close ally of Atiku Abubakar, the former Vice President of Nigeria, claiming that he had perfected plans to infiltrate the party and cause division in order to weaken the ruling party while furthering his pact with Atiku to deliver the state to PDP.

Mohammed insisted that during the last APC primary bye-election to fill up the seat of the Bassa/Jos North Federal constituency held in Jos on February 2, 2022, Kwande successfully participated in the primaries and became a top contender through monetary inducements.

He, however, said that in spite of this, Hon Abbey Aku emerged victorious with overwhelming votes against other contenders, but alleged that the results were later tempered with, resulting in a stalemate while Aku was disenfranchised.

The petition added: “His protest was muffled resulting in the announcement by the electoral officers resulting in Hon Aku and Hon Kwande scoring 344 votes each, resulting in a tie. Amb Yahaya Kwande has is therefore perfecting plans to ensure a run-off where his son will emerge as the sole candidate, through vote-buying from funds from his benefactor, Atiku Abubakar.

“If left unchecked, Hon Suleiman Kwande will emerge as a member of the House of Representatives and join the ranks of rebellious members in the National Assembly to frustrate the policies and programmes of the President Muhammadu Buhari administration’s remaining tenure.”

Besides, the petitioners claimed that Amb Yahaya Kwande and his son were not from the constituency where the bye-election took place, maintaining that they were from the Southern Zone Senatorial District.

The petition further said that senior Kwande is blaming Governor Simon Lalong for his defeat in a local chieftaincy tussle in Kwande and had sworn to make the state ungovernable for the State Government.

The group, therefore, called on the leaders of the party to intervene and restore the mandate of Hon Abbey Aku to forestall the impending disintegration of the party. (Daily Independent)

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