Aspirant Rejects Rijau/Magama Fed. Constituency APC Primary in Niger State

By YM Bina

An All Progressives Congress (APC) aspirant for Magama/Rijau federal constituency of Niger state, Shehu Samaila Auna have rejected the imposition of one of a contestant Professor Yakubu Auna as the concensus candidate.

This is contained in a statement he issued and made available to journalists in Minna, he described the selection as a unilateral decision that does not reflect the collective will of the people of the constituency and should be discarded

Shehu Samaila Auna called on the National Working Committee (NWC) and the State Executive Committee of the APC to set aside the unilateral choice of Professor Yakubu Auna and order the immediate conduct of a Direct Primary Election in the Magama/Rijau Federal Constituency of Niger state.

According to him, Article 20 of the APC Constitution, which mandates democratic processes for candidate selection. While Section 84 (9) of the Electoral Act, stipulated that for a consensus candidate to emerge, there must be written consent from all cleared aspirants.

The statement added, no such agreement was reached. The “choice” of Professor Yakubu Auna as a candidate was a unilateral decision that does not reflect the collective will of the constituents, hence the need for reversal in the interest of fairness, justice, and the victory of the APC in the 2027 General Elections

“I categorically reject his adoption as the “consensus” candidate. An imposition under the guise of consensus is a violation of the electoral Act and the party’s constitution”.

The aspirant expressed worry that with the currently insecurity bedeviling the communities within the area. The imposition of candidate will further aggravate the situation in the area, calling on the state government and the APC leadership to urgently look into the matter to douse the tension.

Samaila Auna assured to remain loyal party members and are committed to the success of Governor Mohammed Umar Bago’s administration. However, believed that loyalty must be met with equity. Urging the party to provide a level playing field to prevent internal fragmentation that could jeopardize APC chances at the polls.