The Bauchi Progressives Forum has rejected the outcome of the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship primary election in Bauchi State, describing the results announced by the party’s Primaries Committee as fictitious and misleading.
In a statement signed by its Chairman, Mallam Ibrahim Abdullahi, the group insisted that no governorship primary election was conducted anywhere in the state, alleged instead that aspirants were pressured into stepping down for former Governor Mohammed Abubakar.
According to the Forum, the figures announced by the Chairman of the APC Governorship Primaries Committee did not reflect any actual voting process.
“There was no governorship primary election in Bauchi State. Let us not attempt to deceive Nigerians. The aspirants were invited by certain individuals and asked to step down for former Governor Muhammad Abubakar. They reluctantly agreed because they were not given the opportunity of a credible direct primary,” the statement said.
The group described the announcement of vote figures as “distasteful,” maintaining that no votes were cast or counted across the state.
“It is distasteful for the Chairman of the Primaries Committee to announce figures of votes that were neither cast nor counted,” Abdullahi stated.
The Forum further challenged the committee to provide evidence that voting took place in any ward or local government area in Bauchi State.
“We had agents across the state, and there was not a single vote cast or counted anywhere. There were no queues and no accreditation of voters. So where did these figures come from?” the statement queried.
The group also demanded photographic proof of the exercise.
“We challenge the Committee to produce a single photograph showing party members queueing to vote anywhere in Bauchi State. Such evidence does not exist,” it added.
Speaking further, Abdullahi said the development had raised concerns about the democratic credentials of the APC in the state.
“No APC member in Bauchi State who watched the video of those figures being announced would believe that the party truly represents democracy or progressive ideals. This is far removed from the principles upon which the party was founded, and it is deeply insulting to the people of Bauchi State,” he said.
The Forum, however, clarified that it was not opposing the emergence of Mohammed Abubakar as the party’s governorship candidate, but objecting to the claim that he emerged through a democratic election.
“Muhammad Abubakar emerged as the ‘consensus’ candidate. Some aspirants initially opposed the arrangement and preferred a direct primary, but two eventually agreed, albeit reluctantly, to his emergence,” the statement noted.
“What we expected was for the party to openly state that he emerged through ‘a forced consensus’, not to falsely claim that an election was conducted. That narrative is simply untrue,” it added.
