Gov Shettima under fire

…for hijacking Borno APC Senatorial Primaries

By Bashir Maimalari

The All Progressives Congress, APC, in Borno North stands the risk of losing the Senatorial seat to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in that zone if the alleged impunity currently going on in the party in the Senatorial district is not nipped in the bud, DESERT HERALD can reveal.

Dependable sources told our Correpondent that the emergence of Senator Abubakar Kyari as the Senatorial candidate for Borno North Senatorial District, under the APC for the 2019 Senatorial elections was allegedly manipulated during the APC primary in favour of Abu Kyari against Hajiya Fati Kakenna.

DESERT HERALD learnt that initially there were three senatorial aspirants who purchased nomination forms and were screened by the National Working Committee of the APC – Hajiya Fati Kakenna, Dr. Abubakar Ali Kullima, and Hon. Isa Lawan. Surprisingly, after losing the Governorship primary election on the 30th September – with the help of the Borno Governor – Shettima Kashim, Abubakar Kyari was smuggled in to contest the Senatorial election, when he had just lost the Governorship primary a few days after.

Political observers believe that Senator Abubakar Kyari’s name was found on the ballot papers for the Senatorial Seat for Borno North because he actually contested for the Governorship primary as an aspirant and lost. He was said to have purchased two forms – one for Governorship Primary and the second for Senatorial Primary – but with different names. On the INEC form CF002C(ii) for the Governorship primary seen by this medium, it was shown that he used Abubakar Kyari, while in the one for the Senatorial Primary he used Abubakar Shaib Kyari.
The question that comes in his mind is this, why will he use Abubakar Shaib Kyari for the Senate when in his Voters Card it is showing Abubakar Kyari, in his party membership card he also used Abubakar Kyari? More findings indicate that he bought two forms, one for the governorship and senatorial but he only submitted the governorship form. He also didn’t go for the screening of senatorial aspirants, he didn’t also submit the form, but surprisingly he was cleared.

It was further gathered that Governor Kashim Shettima was deeply involved in the impunity, criminality and injustice that brought in Abubakar Kyari. This is because prior to the primary election which Abubakar Kyari contested, Governor Kashim Shettima had the meeting with all the aspirants and it was gathered that he allegedly pressured all the aspirants to step down for Kyari, but Kakenna stood her ground, declining to step down.

Meanwhile, according to the constitution of the APC, it is not constitutional for an aspirant to purchase a form for more than one elective position. It was gathered that a party will not field a candidate who didn’t emerge in accordance with the Electoral Act and the party’s constitution. Keen watchers who spoke to our Correspondent made reference to the report of the APC National Appeals Committee that was headed by Professor Oserheimen Osunbor as Chairman and Barrister Idris Yakubu as Secretary which was submitted 13th of October, 2018. In that report Hajiya Fati Kekanna’s appeal was upheld by the Appeals committee. Her appeal read as follows: “The Sitting Senator Contested for Governorship primary, the Senator didn’t buy the expression of interest and nomination form for the Senate”. The report further stated that an attempt to railroad him with clearance even though not properly in the race was rebuffed by the delegate from the primaries.

DESERT HERALD gathered that the entire process was a gang-up against aspirants of the party contesting for the primary election in Borno State, especially the female aspirants. This is because the Borno APC stakeholders, government officials had ganged up against all the female aspirants contesting for various positions in different zones during the primaries.

Similarly, findings showed that Governor Shettima had allegedly changed all delegates for the primaries to the House of Representatives which were declared inconclusive by the Chairman of the Electoral Committee, Alhaji Ahmed El-Marzuq.

An aspirant for the House of Representatives from Bama, Ngala and Kalabalge federal constituency, Malam Gimba, emerged winner in the inconclusive election held in Maiduguri’s Elkenemi Warriors Stadium when she polled 76 votes, while her closest rival, Nur Sharif, got 50 votes.

A source told this medium that El-Marzuq declared the election inconclusive after dozens of policemen armed with weapons from the Government House had stormed the scene and stopped the election. Kakenna had warned that “handpicking candidates for elective positions regardless of the electoral value of such candidates spells doom for democracy in the state and the country. It is sad that many aspirants were forced to withdraw after purchasing their forms; some were told to obtain forms but were denied free and fair election.

“We agreed after the so-called inconclusive elections to return the following day to continue the election. But immediately I left the place, the Committee connived with the Governor’s agents to stage the primaries in my absence and announced the winner. As I am talking to you, I only received the news in my house, said one of the aggrieved aspirants. Some aspirants and their supporters had to sleep at the Elkenemi Stadium for three days, only to be frustrated out of the process in the end”.