From Celestine Ihejirika, Jalingo
The Mu’azu Jaji Campaign Organisation and concerned members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Taraba State have called for the outright cancellation of Friday’s governorship primary election, alleging that the exercise was marred by widespread irregularities.
Addressing journalists on Saturday on behalf of the group, the Director of Communication and Research of the campaign organisation, Dr. Ishaq El-Qasim, described the primary election as a sham.
The aggrieved group, comprising concerned APC members, stakeholders, party agents, supervisors and supporters, urged the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party to nullify the purported results, citing what it described as gross non-compliance with the Electoral Act 2026 and the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended).
The group also demanded sanctions against individuals allegedly involved in acts capable of undermining the integrity and democratic foundation of the party, while calling for the conduct of a fresh, free, fair, credible, transparent and inclusive governorship primary election in strict compliance with the Electoral Act 2026 and APC guidelines.
“Indeed, reports received from several wards indicate that our agents and representatives were systematically excluded from critical stages of the process, including accreditation, sorting, counting, collation, and announcement of purported results, thereby completely undermining the transparency, neutrality, and credibility expected of a democratic primary election”.
“These developments created the unfortunate impression of a predetermined, one-sided process and severely undermined public confidence in the integrity and legitimacy of the purported exercise”.
“We must respectfully state that the large-scale disenfranchisement of party members, violence, intimidation, procedural irregularities, and exclusionary conduct associated with this purported primary election have serious negative implications for the APC’s image, credibility, public perception, and electoral fortunes ahead of the 2027 general elections in Taraba State”.
“If not urgently addressed, these developments risk discouraging genuine party members, alienating grassroots supporters, weakening public confidence in the party’s commitment to internal democracy, and providing unnecessary political ammunition to opposition forces ahead of the general elections”.
“As loyal stakeholders of the APC, we believe that our great party must never be associated with conduct capable of bringing its democratic credentials into disrepute before the Nigerian people and the international community”.
“We therefore call on the National Working Committee (NWC) of the APC, the Governorship Primary Election Appeal Committee, relevant security agencies, and all concerned authorities to: Immediately investigate the widespread irregularities and unlawful acts that characterised the purported governorship primary election in Taraba State, reject and nullify the purported results arising from the flawed and unlawful process, Cancel the purported governorship primary election for gross non-compliance with the Electoral Act, 2026, the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), the APC Constitution, and applicable party guidelines, Sanction all persons found to have participated in acts capable of undermining the integrity and democratic foundation of the party; and direct the conduct of a fresh, free, fair, credible, transparent, and inclusive governorship primary election in strict compliance with the Electoral Act, 2026 and APC guidelines”.
“We remain committed to peace, party unity, internal democracy, and the continued progress and success of the All Progressives Congress under the leadership of President Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu”.
