By Aideloje Ojo
Minna
An aggrieved aspirant for Magama/Rijau federal constituency of Niger state on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Shehu Samaila Auna has rejected the imposition of Professor Yakubu Auna as the concensus candidate by Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago.
The aspirant, in a press statement issued in Minna, decried the purported unilateral selection and imposition of Professor Auna, insisting that it does not reflect the collective will of the people of the constituency and should therefore be discarded as consensus agreement.
” I therefore call 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 to 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 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. This was not done in this instant case”.
He 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”.
According to him, “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”.
Samaila Auna urged his supporters to remain loyal party members and be committed to the success of Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago’s administration, adding that however, loyalty must be met with equity. There is the need for the party to provide a level playing field to prevent internal fragmentation that could jeopardize APC chances at the polls.
