As Niger State All Progressives Congress (APC) settled for consensus candidates for the local government elections, allegations of financial and executive inducement and manipulations have cast doubt on the process.
LEADERSHIP gathered that some stakeholders are being accused of collecting money to work for their preferred candidate in the local government areas while some people in high positions of authority in the state manipulated the process.
An aspirant who prefers anonymity said, “The inducement is two ways. Some aspirants were also offered money to step down for their preferred candidate by some influential stakeholders, while some induced the consensus committee for their preferred choice.”
It was learnt that some local government deals were also struck on the benefits to individual stakeholders if they worked for their preferred candidates to emerge.
The Niger State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has, however, dismissed the allegation of compromising the consensus process.
The party publicity secretary, Musa Sarkin Kaji, told LEADERSHIP that the allegations were the imaginations of blackmailers and political adversaries while noting that they were untrue and unfounded.
Sarkin Kaji explained that the APC opted for the consensus to minimise crisis after primaries and ensure sellable candidates who would fly its flag at the grassroots levels through strict adherence to the process and guidelines.
The publicity secretary also dismissed the allegation of some APC stakeholders collecting N10 million from their respective selected consensus candidates to the detriment of the other aspirants during the selection process.
LEADERSHIP reports that the state governor, Mohammed Umaru Bago, has stated that the APC candidates for the local government elections in November this year will be chosen by consensus of the party’s stakeholders in the 25 local government areas.
It was learnt that the stakeholders were members of the state house of assembly, party chairmen at the local government level, commissioners and special advisers, and other political appointees.
