By Amuda Dan Sulaiman Fab
A political pressure group within the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kogi West Senatorial District has called for the immediate arrest and investigation of the chairman of the APC Kogi West Senatorial Primary Electoral Committee, Lawal Sama’ila Abdullahi, over alleged tampering with the results of the party’s recently concluded senatorial primary election.
The group, under the aegis of Concerned APC Stakeholders in Kogi West and led by its chairman, Alhaji Isah Ibrahim, accused Abdullahi and some members of the electoral committee of allegedly manipulating certified election documents in a bid to alter the outcome of the primary election won by Senator Sunday Karimi.
Addressing journalists in Lokoja on Saturday, Alhaji Isah Ibrahim alleged that the original result sheets and documents endorsed by the returning officer were replaced with what he described as “forged and fabricated documents” after the exercise had been concluded and officially announced.
According to him, the alleged action was capable of causing unrest among party members and undermining the credibility of the APC primary process in Kogi West Senatorial District.
The stakeholders maintained that the result declared at the end of the exercise reflected the will of party delegates and should not be subjected to manipulation by any individual or group.
“We are calling on security agencies, particularly the police and other relevant anti-crime agencies, to immediately arrest and investigate Lawal Sama’ila Abdullahi and all those allegedly involved in this criminal act,” Alhaji Isah Ibrahim stated.
The group further urged the national leadership of the APC to intervene swiftly and protect the integrity of the party’s internal democratic process, warning that any attempt to overturn the authentic result could create division within the party ahead of the general elections.
They also appealed to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and other relevant authorities to ensure that only the authentic and duly certified result of the primary election is recognized.
The stakeholders reaffirmed their support for Senator Sunday Karimi, insisting that he emerged victorious in a free and transparent contest conducted across the senatorial district.
Efforts to reach Lawal Sama’ila Abdullahi for comments on the allegations were unsuccessful as of the time of filing this report.
