Taraba North APC Group Urges Party to Respect Primary Election Outcome

By Margaret Abah

Stakeholders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Taraba North Senatorial District, alongside the national leadership of the Conference of APC Support Groups, have called on the party leadership to uphold the outcome of the senatorial primary election in the district, amid allegations of attempts to overturn the result.

In a statement issued in Abuja on Tuesday, the stakeholders congratulated Muhammad Bello on his emergence as the APC senatorial candidate for Taraba North, describing his victory as a reflection of the wishes of party members in the district.

They also congratulated Senator Haruna Manu of Taraba Central and Senator David Jimkuta of Taraba South on their emergence as the party’s senatorial candidates, noting that their victories were declared by the APC National Assembly Primary Election Committee and monitored by officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

However, the group alleged that some individuals within the party were making efforts to reverse the outcome of the Taraba North primary election.

In the statement jointly signed by the Coordinator of Taraba North Stakeholders, Abubakar Ibrahim, and the General Secretary of the Conference of APC Support Groups, Dr Bilal Galadima, the stakeholders expressed concern over alleged moves to overturn the result declared in favour of Bello.

According to them, Bello enjoys widespread acceptance among APC members in the district and emerged through a credible process.

“It has come to our attention that certain individuals within the party are allegedly orchestrating clandestine moves to undermine and overturn the credible outcome of the Taraba North primary. There are credible concerns that attempts are being made to reverse the result already declared in favour of Hon. Muhammad Kabir Bello, a candidate widely accepted as the people’s choice,” the statement said.

The stakeholders maintained that the primary election was conducted in accordance with the party’s guidelines and produced a clear winner, warning that any attempt to alter the outcome could undermine confidence in the party’s internal democratic processes.

They urged INEC to stand by its monitoring report and safeguard the integrity of the electoral process, while calling on the APC national leadership to resist external pressures and recognise the declared winner.

The group also appealed to the Taraba State Government to remain neutral and ensure there was no interference in the process.

According to the stakeholders, democracy can only thrive where fairness, transparency and respect for the will of party members are upheld.

They warned that any attempt to disenfranchise APC members in Taraba North would be resisted through lawful and democratic means.

The stakeholders further urged relevant authorities to act promptly to protect the credibility of the party ahead of future elections, insisting that the voice of APC members in Taraba North must not be ignored.

Disputes arising from party primaries have remained a recurring feature of Nigeria’s political landscape, with aggrieved aspirants and stakeholders often seeking redress through internal mechanisms and the courts.

Political analysts have consistently stressed the need for transparent and credible primaries, noting that such processes are essential to strengthening internal democracy and minimising post-primary conflicts that could affect parties’ electoral fortunes.