Aspirants of different political positions have called for immediate resignation of Niger APC chairman over open support for Gov Sani Bello’s aspiration.
Angry aspirants on the platform of the All Progressives Congress, APC, seeking various elective posts are calling for the immediate resignation of the state party chairman Alh Haliru Zakari Jikantoro for openly supporting the senatorial bid of the state Governor, Alh Abubakar Sani Bello.
They claimed that for openly declaring his support for the governor, they are afraid of whether he can conduct a free, fair and credible primary of the party in the state.
Jikantoro made the declaration during a courtesy call paid him in his office by former state commissioner for Land and Housing and the house of representative aspirant for Agwara/Borgu Federal Constituency, Barrister Mouktar Ibrahim Nasale.
According to him during the visit,” I am not supposed to do this as the Chairman of the party but am saying this to the hearing of anybody who cares to listen that I am fully in support of the Governor’s aspiration. In fact, I am not only in support, but I am also at the forefront of the struggle, and I want the whole world to know about this”.
The development is contrary to his earlier statement during a visit by another aspirant, a member of the House of Representatives, representing Chanchaga constituency and governorship aspirant in the state, Alh. Umar Bago, Jikantoro was said to have stated that he would be neutral to all during the primaries.
This was also followed by a press statement by the Publicity Secretary of the party, Musa Sarkinkaji shortly after, saying that the chairman would not take sides with any aspirant during the party primaries.
Reacting to the comments of the chairman, aspirants who would not like their names on print vying for various positions condemned the attitude of the state party leader, thereby calling for his immediate resignation.
They stated that if the party Chairman shows a preference for any aspirant during the primaries, it would spell doom for the party in the state.
“His biased comment has shown that he can never be neutral and any attempt to manipulate the primaries in favour of a particular aspirant will not go down well for the party in the general elections,” according to an aspirant for the state house of assembly seat.
The aspirants argued,” this kind of comment coming from a person that is supposed to be neutral could spell doom for the party at the general elections if the people discover any foul play”.