Two serving senators lose primaries in Niger

…..David Umaru Cries Foul

Two of the serving Senators of the All Progressives Congress, APC Niger state, Barrister David Umaru and Senator Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi have lost in the senatorial primaries held across the state on Tuesday.

Two time serving Senator David Umaru who is the Chairman, Senate committee on Judiciary and Human Rights lost the Niger East senatorial district to new entrant, Alhaji Sani Musa.

While in Niger north senatorial district, the Senate Spokesman, Senator Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi lost to the state serving Commissioner for Local Government, Community Development and Chieftaincy Affair, Alhaji Zakari Jikantoro.

However, Senator David Umaru who assessed newsmen on Wednesday claimed that the APC Senatorial Primaries was a sham as it was bedeviled with intimidation from thugs and votes buying.

He accused the State Working Committee of the party of skewing the election and rigging it in favour of a particular candidate expressing concern over the electoral fraud committed in the state.

“Thugs were used to beat up and chased away my supporters and disrupted voting. In many cases elections were not done but results were manufactured and announced. This is shame to APC and I condemned it in total”.

He called on the national chairman of the party to quickly intervene before strangers destroy the party which was formed on the principle of justice and fairness.

“I called on the National Chairman and those who mean well for the party to intervene and cancel the results of senatorial primaries in the state in order to save the party in the state”.

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Also, in the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Senatorial Primaries, former Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Alhaji Abdulrahaman Gimba and former PDP Chairman in the state, Alhaji Abdulrahaman Enagi lost the primaries in their respective senatorial districts.

In Niger east senatorial district, legal luminary and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Ibrahim Isyaku emerged the party’s candidate after defeating three other candidates, in Niger south, former House of Representatives member, Alhaji Baba Shehu Agaie emerged the party’s flag bearer after defeating former Minister of Youth and Sport Development, Alhaji Abdulrahaman Gimba and former PDP Chairman in the state, Alhaji Abdulrahaman Enagi, while in Niger North senatorial district, Mohammadu Sani Duba emerged the party candidate unopposed.