All is definitely not well with the All Progressives Congress, APC. This is because weeks after the party primaries, protests have continued to mar the outcome of the primaries across the country.
Presently, some of the party stalwarts in Bauchi State have added a new twist as to why the party’s chairman, ex-governor Adams Oshiomhole unilaterally substituted the winners of the primaries with a defeated candidate in the state.
In Bauchi North Senatorial District like in many other parts of the country, the dust raised by the substitution of the winner of the primary is yet to settle.
Allegations are being made and fingers are being pointed at the party’s chairman as to the real reasons he substituted the winner, Usman Abubakar Tuggar who won in a landslide in six of the seven Local Government Areas with Adamu Mohammed Bulkachuwa who managed to win in only one Local Government.
According to the new revelations, the substitution of Tuggar, the winner of the Senatorial primary in Bauchi North Senatorial District with Bulkachuwa is to buy favour from, appease and assuage the Court of Appeal, in order to make the Jurists look the other way when election tribunal cases eventually gets to the appellate court.
Bulkachuwa, the first District Head of Bulkachuwa, who was born on April 16, 1940 in Bulkachuwa, present day Katagun Local Government Area of Bauchi State is the husband of Justice Zainab Adamu Bulkachuwa, the President of the Court of Appeal, Abuja.
Many have argued that by virtue of Justice Zainab Bulkachuwa’s position as President, Court of Appeal, it will amount to conflict of interest for her 78 year old husband, Adamu Bulkachuwa to delve into politics in such a controversial circumstance.
Aggrieved politicians from Bauchi North Senatorial District have cried out against the injustice which they described as daylight robbery.
In the result sheet made available by INEC officials, Bulkachuwa scored 234 in Gamawa LG, while Tuggar gannered 20, 096 in the same LG. In Giade LG, Bulkachuwa got 1, 539 while Tuggar got 5, 878.
In Jama’re LG, while Bulkachuwa got 388 votes, Tuggar got 948. In Katagun, Bulkachuwa got 7, 263 and Tuggar got 6, 278. In Shira LG, Bulkachuwa got 367 and Tuggar got 11, 739. In Zaki LG, Bulkachuwa scored 804 votes while Tuggar got 12, 280. And in Tas/Gadau LG, Bulkachuwa scored 6, 085 while Tuggar scored 14, 089 votes.
Expectedly, the trio of Ibrahim Abdullahi, Bauchi State Electoral Commissioner; Baba Bukar Usman, Administrative Secretary, INEC, Bauchi State and Ahmed Alhaji Waziri, Ag. HoD, EPM, Bauchi State all signed a document vindicating Tuggar as the winner of the primary.
In the document titled: “Summary of Candidates Nominated at Political Party Direct Primary Election Held on 3rd October, 2018”, Usman Abubakar Tuggar, Hon. Hallilu Dauda Jika and Dr. Danjuma Adamu Dabo were the authentic winners of the direct primary in Bauchi North, Bauchi Central and Bauchi South senatorial districts respectively.
But when the result got to Abuja, the names of Adamu Mohammed Bulkachuwa and Lawal Yahaya Gumau were used to replace the original winners, Tuggar and Dr. Dabo without any reason for the change.
In a petition to the National Headquarters of APC dated October 9, 2018 and titled: “Petition Against Announcement of Adamu Bulkachuwa As Senatorial Candidate for Bauchi North Senatorial District”, Tuggar who contested under the CPC in the 2011 general elections, in Bauchi State said “….it is with deep shock that after the primary elections, i heard an announcement by the Committee Chairman, Prof. Ahmed Bakori Mohammed that Adamu Bulkachuwa has been declared the winner”. Tuggar demands that justice be done if the party must make headway.
It would be recalled that Aisha Buhari, wife of President Muhammadu Buhari had on October 7, 2018 lambasted the APC for its undemocratic principles.
In a tweet on her official handle, @aishabuhari, the President’s wife lampooned the APC for denying many aspirants the opportunity.
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