The Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Igabi Local Government Area of Kaduna State, Bashir Jibrin Jaji, has been taken away by angry youths who expressed dissatisfaction with Saturday’s House of Representatives primary election.
The incident occurred after they accused the party leadership and some officials of manipulating the primary election in Igabi Federal Constituency.
The contest was between Sani Abdulkadir Dakaci and Hussaini Jalo.
Some of the youths claimed that no proper accreditation or counting process was carried out during the exercise, alleging that party officials suddenly announced Jalo as the winner.
According to eyewitnesses, the development angered many party supporters, who stormed the APC office in Rigachikun and confronted the party chairman.
A video clip circulating on social media showed the APC chairman in Igabi being forced into a waiting vehicle following the disputed primary election.
One of the party members present during the incident, Musa Salihu, said supporters had queued up for the exercise but were never counted before the result was announced.
“We lined up but nobody counted us. Suddenly, they came out and announced that Jalo had won the election. That is not democracy because no election was conducted,” he said.
Another party supporter, Musbahu Idris, also expressed disappointment over the process.
“What the party told us was to go to the collection centre for the election. People had been waiting there since 6 a.m. expecting accreditation and counting to begin. Everybody in Kwarau Ward knows our collection centre is at LEA Birnin Yero, and that was where people gathered.
“We were surprised to hear that Jalo had been declared winner. No election took place because we were never told voting would happen at the party office,” he stated.
But a supporter of the APC chairman, Haruna Sani, defended the process, insisting that a valid primary election was conducted and that Jalo emerged winner.
“The youths alleged injustice, but that is not the case. We tried to prevent them from attacking the party chairman when they came to the office, but they overpowered us and assaulted him before taking him away in a vehicle,” he said.
