By Ifeanyi Emeka
The news report making the round on social media claiming that the senator representing Yobe East Senatorial District in the National Assembly, Mr Bukar Abba Ibrahim, has withdrawn from the senatorial race and has conceded the seat to Gov. Gaidam is false, misinforming and the height of mischief making which has unceremoniously become the hallmark of the fake news industry.
For the avoidance of doubt, Senator Bukar Abba Ibrahim is very much in the senatorial race and has not stepped down for anybody as the case may be.
In any case, the senator and former governor of Yobe State was not aware of any stakeholders meeting endorsing anybody or adopting indirect primaries in the state let alone giving consent or credence to the purported and shambolic meeting.
As a critical stakeholder and loyal party man, Mr Bukar Abba is against any form of indirect primaries in Yobe State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC), which runs against the directive of the national leadership of the party led by Comrade Adams Oshiomhole.
The senator, as a firm believer in democracy, believes that indirect primaries in the political clime of Yobe State does not reflect the true position of party members in the state as critical stakeholders especially serving members of the National Assembly and many other governorship aspirants were deliberately excluded from the said meeting.
Accordingly, Senator Bukar Abba was in Damaturu for two weeks for condolences and visitations and no invitation for the purported meeting was ever extended to him.
However, the position of the national leadership of the party on direct primaries has never being in doubt and Senator Bukar Abba Ibrahim stands by it as direct primary enfranchises the electorates to choose credible leaders from the pool of aspirants.
At this point, it is important that I restate the criteria set by the national leadership of the party in choosing which mode of primaries to be adopted by state chapters.
The party said that ‘The State Executive Committee of the party shall in consultation with candidates and other critical stakeholders of the party in a given state identify and forward for consideration and approval by the National Working Committee of the party, the mode of election to be adopted.’
Let it be clearly noted that the pre-condition for the adoption of indirect primary as demanded by the national headquarters of the party is that all aspirants and critical stakeholders of the party must agree on that mode of primary; anything short of that is null and void.
Whereas, in Yobe State, critical stakeholders of APC were deliberately excluded from the meeting, where the purported adoption of indirect primaries was taken.
Apart from Senator Bukar Abba who is a critical stakeholder of the party that was not invited to the purported meeting, other stakeholders and aspirants like the former Commissioner in the state as well as aspirant for the forthcoming primaries, Alhaji Ibrahim Salihu Bakabe (Jinga) who was not also invited said the decision of the Yobe State Chapter of the party to adopt indirect primaries did not reflect the position of APC members in the state but that of a few who are in the minority.
He added that notable figures like Mr Bukar Abba Ibrahim, Cidi Karasuwa, Yerima Gudi among other numerous stakeholders of the party in the state were not part of the suspicious and purported meeting.
Besides, the national leadership of the party also clearly stated that a protest from any stakeholder or aspirant in the cause of the primary will lead to outright cancellation of the entire exercise and subsequently resort to direct primaries.
According to the statement, ‘Anywhere they do indirect primary or consensus, and one of the aspirants or any of the stakeholders complained, that exercise would be cancelled and the national headquarters of the party will send people to go and do direct primaries in that state.’
Therefore, it is understandable why some fidgeting persons are sponsoring fake news reports in the media claiming that Mr Bukar Abba Ibrahim has withdrawn from the senatorial race.
For the sake of emphasis, let me clearly restate that Senator Bukar Abba Ibrahim is very much in the race for Yobe East Senatorial District and has not stepped down for anybody whatsoever.
Those who are planting such frivolous stories in the media are already being chased by their own shadows as well as the popular acceptance Mr Bukar Abba Ibrahim enjoys among the electorates.
Mr Ifeanyi Emeka writes from Abuja.
