By Bala Dauda, Damaturu
A group of concerned citizens have alleged that some miscreants backed by the leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Yobe are confiscating membership cards of some party members ahead of the forthcoming governorship primary election in the state.
Alhaji Musa Ali Baba, the convener of the group told journalists in Damaturu that many party members especially at the grassroots were asked to surrender their membership cards without any accompanying reason, a situation which raised questions among the ranks of the party.
He noted that the alleged disenfranchisement was coming just a few days to the party’s primaries and with the mass rejection and condemnation of the immediate past Secretary to the State Government (SSG) Alhaji Baba Malam Wali.
“ An earlier plan by some mischievous leaders of the party to tout the Secretary to the State Government as the party’s preferred candidate even without going to the party Primaries has failed woefully as both members and other governorship aspirants exposed and rejected the plan.
“ This is certainly an unfortunate trajectory in the history and traditional transition from an outgoing administration to an incoming one which is usually done in the state without any rancour.
“ The suspicion is heightened as part of another grand plan to impose an unpopular candidate by giving the seized membership cards to only their so-called loyal members to vote if it finally turns out that the primaries should be ‘direct’ as against ‘consensus.’
“ If our suspicion is correct, then the seizure of the membership cards will translate to daylight robbery, imposition, disenfranchisement and denial on the electorate to bring in a candidate of their choice as the next governor of the state,” he said.
The group therefore called on the national leadership of the APC to ensure internal democracy in party primaries in Yobe State and sanction any erring official and implore our members not to surrender their membership cards to anyone no matter what.
It also vowed to seek legal redress on the matter if the national leadership of the party fails to call the Yobe State Executives to order.
When contacted, the state APC Youth Leader, Alhaji Musa Muhammad Gulani, flatly dismissed the allegations, describing them as malicious and baseless.
“ This is just “a deliberate attempt by some disgruntled elements to create unnecessary tension and propagate unfounded narratives within the party.
“ If these claims were true, why didn’t they state where, when and the members involved?
He assured that the party remains committed to a transparent and credible primaries in line with its constitution