Niger APC primaries: Group cries out over ‘exclusion of Christian aspirants’

The Niger State Christian Voice in Politics and Governance has called on Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago to intervene over what it described as the exclusion of Christian aspirants from the ongoing National Assembly primaries of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Niger State.

The group warned that the alleged development, arising from the party’s consensus and zoning arrangements, could worsen religious imbalance in politics and threaten peaceful coexistence in the state if not urgently addressed.

Speaking at a press briefing in Minna, the Convener, Habila Daniel Diko, alleged that Christian aspirants seeking Senate and House of Representatives tickets had been systematically sidelined.

“We have noted with great concern the deliberate and systemic exclusion of Christian aspirants under the guise of consensus and zoning,” Diko said.

He further claimed that the process had left Christians without meaningful representation among those emerging as National Assembly candidates in the state.

“We have aspirants contesting. Bosso Federal Constituency primaries are still ongoing, and we have an aspirant who is contesting.

“We also have issues of insecurity in some of those areas where primaries have not yet held and there are plans on ground to conduct the elections.

“We are also hearing that the Deputy Speaker, who is supposed to be at the top hierarchy of the state is being influenced to step down for another aspirant.

“At the moment, we do not have the Governor, Deputy Governor, or Speaker from the Christian community, and now even the Deputy Speaker we have is being asked to step down for another aspirant,” he added.

Diko noted that the governor’s plan to gazette the zoning arrangement with a maximum of eight years for benefiting areas was designed to prevent dominance by some sections of the state.

Despite this, the group insisted the ongoing APC primaries had allegedly been manipulated through consensus arrangements to edge out Christian aspirants.

“Consensus and zoning should not be weaponised to deny qualified Christian aspirants the opportunity to participate in the democratic process,” Diko warned.

He added that if the situation was not addressed, it could discourage Christian youths from active participation in politics and weaken confidence in the democratic system.

Efforts to get the reaction of the Niger State APC through its Publicity Secretary, Musa Sarkinkaji, were not successful as at the time of filing this report.

Niger APC primaries: Group cries out over ‘exclusion of Christian aspirants’