Concerned members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the Jos North–North State Constituency of Plateau State have called on President Bola Tinubu to intervene in an alleged attempt to alter the outcome of the party’s primary election for the State House of Assembly seat.
The appeal was contained in an open letter signed by Usman Danasabe and Josiah Mark on behalf of the concerned APC constituents, who urged the President, as leader of the party, to safeguard internal democracy by ensuring that the winner of the primary election is allowed to emerge as the party’s candidate.
The group stated that the declared results of the primary showed Hon. Dr. Adamu Aliyu as the winner after securing 13,066 votes, defeating Harry Ishaya, who polled 1,904 votes. Other aspirants, Shehu Bala and Hassan Abdulkadir, were said to have recorded 239 and 182 votes respectively.
However, the petitioners raised concerns over claims that the APC National Working Committee (NWC) allegedly issued an Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) nomination form to another aspirant who finished fourth in the election.
They warned that if the allegation was proven true, it would undermine the principles of party democracy and disregard the choice of accredited delegates who participated in the primary.
The group appealed to Tinubu to ensure fairness and justice, stressing that no person or group should be allowed to overturn the decision of party members through undemocratic means.
According to them, the Electoral Act, the Nigerian Constitution and the APC constitution all require political parties to follow transparent and lawful procedures during primary elections.
The petitioners maintained that their action was aimed at protecting democratic values within the party rather than pursuing personal interests, adding that respecting credible primary outcomes would strengthen members’ confidence in the APC and the country’s democratic process.
They also called on the APC National Working Committee, National Executive Committee, Plateau State chapter of the party, INEC, security agencies and relevant judicial authorities to ensure the matter is resolved according to the law.
The APC had not issued an official response to the allegations at the time of filing the report.