An aspirant for the All Progressives Congress (APC) ticket for the Mani/Bindawa Federal Constituency in Katsina State, Ahmed Saleh, has alleged that his mandate was “stolen” after what he described as multiple endorsements by party stakeholders during the candidate selection process.
Speaking to journalists in Mani on Saturday after the primaries, Saleh said he was initially adopted twice as the consensus candidate by stakeholders from Mani and Bindawa local government areas, only for the ticket to later be handed to another aspirant, Hajiya Jamila Abdu-Mani.
He explained that the APC in Katsina had initially agreed to adopt a consensus arrangement in selecting its flagbearers ahead of the elections.
“I was one of the aspirants who contested for the seat of the House of Representatives to represent the good people of Mani/Bindawa Federal Constituency,” he said.
“During the first consensus, stakeholders from the two local government areas unanimously endorsed me as their consensus candidate.
“The state governor congratulated me, the state government congratulated me, well-wishers and party faithful congratulated me. As a matter of fact, the Government House press corps published my name and congratulated me,” he claimed.
Saleh, however, alleged that some dissatisfied aspirants later petitioned Governor Dikko Umaru Radda, accusing stakeholders of exclusion and alleging that he financially induced them.
“They lied against the stakeholders and alleged that I bribed them with money. But in reality, I did not give anybody a farthing,” he said.
According to him, the governor later ordered a fresh consensus process in which all aspirants were given another opportunity.
He said stakeholders were asked to openly indicate their preference by raising their hands in support of candidates.
“When my name was mentioned, 25 out of the 27 stakeholders raised their hands in my support. The remaining two were absent due to other engagements. That was how I was again unanimously endorsed,” he stated.
Saleh alleged that despite winning the second exercise, the outcome was overturned.
“Very few minutes before Friday prayers, His Excellency handed the ticket, which I won, to Jamila Mani, who got zero votes during the first and second consensus,” he alleged.
He further claimed he was prevented from participating in the direct primary election, alleging that security operatives detained him on the day of the exercise.
“The operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) came and arrested me on the instructions of the governor. I was detained and denied my civil rights to participate in the primaries,” he alleged.
Saleh also dismissed the outcome of the direct primary election that produced the party’s candidate, insisting that no credible voting exercise took place.
“There was no primary election in Mani/Bindawa as far as I am concerned. They just picked a few individuals and announced that the governor’s anointed candidate scored 20,000 votes, whereas the venue could not even contain 100 people,” he said.
Despite his grievances, he pledged loyalty to the APC and said he would abide by the decision of a reconciliation committee headed by former Katsina State Governor Aminu Bello Masari.
“I am a law-abiding citizen, a loyal party member and I will remain in the APC. I will continue contributing to the growth and development of the party,” he stated.
He, however, questioned the governor’s decision, describing it as unfair.
“Could this be a reward for loyalty? Why insist on handing the ticket to someone who, in my view, contributed little to the development of the party in our constituency?” he asked.
Saleh described the development as “a broad daylight robbery” and “political banditry” against his mandate.
Meanwhile, the Director-General of Media to the governor, Maiwada Dammalla, dismissed allegations linking Governor Radda to the reported arrest and detention of the aspirant by the Department of State Services (DSS), insisting that governors do not control security agencies.
Reacting to the claims, he said it was unreasonable to suggest that the governor ordered the arrest.
“Governors are not constitutionally empowered to exercise authority over security agencies, the DSS in this regard. It defies logic therefore for the aggrieved aspirant to accuse His Excellency, Governor Radda, of his purported arrest or detention by the DSS,” he said.
He added that the DSS operates under federal authority and is responsible for maintaining internal security and investigating potential threats to public peace.
“Although governors are the chief security officers in their states, this should not be confused with running the daily affairs of the DSS or any security agency. It is not the purview of state governors to order the DSS to do their bidding,” he said.
Maiwada added that only the DSS could clarify the circumstances surrounding the alleged arrest, urging journalists to seek clarification from the agency and the complainant.
“The DSS is in the best position to confirm the circumstances as well as the facts of the purported arrest for appropriate action where and if necessary.
“Rather than amplify the allegations of the aggrieved aspirant, it makes better sense for journalists to first ask the aggrieved why he was arrested. This may probably solve the puzzle,” he added.
