Kaduna APC senatorial aspirants kick, seek cancellation of primaries

Aggrieved aspirants of the All Progressives Congress (APC) from the three senatorial districts in Kaduna State on Tuesday condemned and rejected the process and outcome of the party’s senatorial primary elections, alleging widespread irregularities and violations of party guidelines in producing candidates.

Led by former Senator of Kaduna South, Danjuma La’ah, alongside Michael Ayuba Auta, who also contested the senatorial seat from Zone III, and Yusuf Bala Ikara from Zone I, the aggrieved aspirants staged a protest shortly after addressing a press conference at the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) secretariat in Kaduna.

The protesters, who arrived with hundreds of supporters, called on the National Working Committee (NWC) of the APC to cancel the primaries conducted in Kaduna North, Kaduna Central and Kaduna South senatorial districts, and conduct fresh direct primaries under the supervision of the party’s national leadership that will produce a credible and transparent exercise.

Addressing journalists on behalf of the aspirants, Senator Danjuma La’ah alleged that the exercise violated provisions of the Electoral Act 2022 and the APC constitution.

They particularly faulted the Kaduna South senatorial primary, which produced Senator Sunday Marshall Katung as winner, claiming that the process lacked transparency and failed to follow approved procedures for producing an acceptable candidate.

According to them, “The exercise was marred by the absence of proper voting procedures, inadequate deployment of electoral officials and non-compliance with the direct primary mode earlier approved by the party leadership.”

They stated that the National Working Committee approved direct primaries for the exercise, but lamented that what was conducted was an illegal delegate system, alleging that party members were denied the opportunity to vote at ward level as stipulated in the guidelines.

The aspirants further claimed that electoral materials and party officials were not adequately deployed to several wards and polling centres across the senatorial districts, arguing that the conduct of the primaries contravened Section 84 of the Electoral Act 2022 and Article 20 of the APC constitution relating to nomination procedures and internal democracy.

They appealed to the APC national leadership, the party’s appeal committee and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to intervene and ensure a transparent and credible process.

Among other aggrieved aspirants mentioned were former Speaker of the Kaduna State House of Assembly, Yusuf Zailani, and Mohammed Mu’azu Makkadas.

The group warned that failure by the party leadership to address their grievances could threaten unity within the APC ahead of the 2027 general elections.