FCT Polls: APC Crisis Deepen As Council Chairmen Seeks Buhari’s Intervention Over Alleged Imposition of Chairmanship Candidates.
By Sadiq Abubakar, Abuja.
Four aggrieved chairmen of the FCT area councils have sought for the intervention of President Muhammadu Buhari and the All Progressives Congress (APC) elders of the party over alleged imposition if candidates ahead of February 12, 2022 Council election in the FCT.
They also sought for reversal of the move by national leadership of the APC to impose unpopular candidates on the party for the forthcoming council election in the territory.
The chairmen, in a letter of protest to President Muhammadu Buhari, which was obtained by Global Times Nigeria, warned that the imposition of candidates amounted to subversion and could cost the party the election to the opposition if the move was not altered.
The four council chairmen are Alhaji Abdullahi Candido, Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC); Danladi Chiya, Kwali; Alhaji AbdulRahman Ajiya, Abaji and Alhaji Adamu Mustapha, Gwagwalada.
In their letter, they expressed dismay about the subtle move to substitute the names of Alhaji Mohammed Kasim Ikwa, of Gwagwalada Area Council, Suleiman Alhassan Gwagwa of AMAC and Alhaji Mohammed Angulu Loko of Abaji Area council with other candidates.
They insisted that the four candidates won the primaries and were declared winners by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Candido, who spoke on behalf of others, urged the national headquarters of the party to do the needful by ensuring a transparent process that would allow the persons with the highest votes to contest the council election as flag bearers of the area councils to ensure success for the party, saying there should not be any reason for tension and crisis in the election.
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On his part, Gwagwa expressed surprise that his name was substituted for a less popular candidate.
He insisted he won a free and fair election certified by INEC in the presence of all the security agencies. Gwagwa said he got 150 votes ahead of the second-placed opponent that had 123 votes. His other opponents had 13, 10 and two votes respectively.
The chairmen expressed grave concern that the imposition could imperil the chances of the party at the Area Council Polls slated for February 12, 2022.
