A panel set up by the national working committee of the All Progressives
Congress (APC) panel has insisted on the disqualification of some
aspirants from the primaries of 2019 elections.
This is despite pressure from Aisha Buhari, wife of the president;
Ibikunle Amosun, governor of Ogun state; Nasir el-Rufai, governor of
Kaduna, among others.
In a document seen by TheCable, the panel cleared those given automatic
tickets. Among them is Shehu Sani, senator representing Kaduna central.
The party’s primaries across the states were marred with allegations of
irregularities and illegal disqualification of aspirants.
The issue had triggered a series of meetings between the president and
aggrieved governors, some of whose preferred aspirants were affected.
The president’s wife had kicked against the primaries, saying impunity was
manifest in them.
“It is disheartening to note that some aspirants used their hard earned
money to purchase nomination forms, got screened, cleared and campaigned
vigorously yet found their names omitted on Election Day, these forms were
bought at exorbitant prices,” Aisha had said.
Mahmoud Halilu, her brother, sought to contest in the governorship primary
of Adamawa state but was disqualified while an automatic ticket was given
to Jibrilla Bindow, the incumbent governor.
In Kaduna while el-Rufai got senatorial ticket, Uba Sani, his preferred
candidate for Kaduna central senatorial district was disqualified.