APC insists on disqualification of aspirants — despite pressure from Aisha Buhari, governors

A panel set up by the national working committee of the All Progressives Congress (APC) panel has insisted on the disqualification of some aspirants from the primaries of 2019 elections.

This is despite pressure from Aisha Buhari, wife of the president; Ibikunle Amosun, governor of Ogun state; Nasir el-Rufai, governor of Kaduna, among others.

TheCable reports that the panel cleared those given automatic tickets. Among them is Shehu Sani, senator representing Kaduna central.

The party’s primaries across the states were marred with allegations of irregularities and illegal disqualification of aspirants.

The issue had triggered a series of meetings between the president and aggrieved governors, some of whose preferred aspirants were affected.

The president’s wife had kicked against the primaries, saying impunity was manifest in them.

“It is disheartening to note that some aspirants used their hard earned money to purchase nomination forms, got screened, cleared and campaigned vigorously yet found their names omitted on Election Day, these forms were bought at exorbitant prices,” Aisha had said.

Mahmoud Halilu, her brother, sought to contest in the governorship primary of Adamawa state but was disqualified while an automatic ticket was given to Jibrilla Bindow, the incumbent governor.

In Kaduna while el-Rufai got senatorial ticket, Uba Sani, his preferred candidate for Kaduna central senatorial district was disqualified.