Magama APC Chairmanship Consensus: A Shambles and Undemocratic Act!
By Yahaya Zakka Minna
There appears to be a serious issue with transparency and due process in the APC chairmanship consensus process in Magama Local Government.
APC stakeholders in the Magama Local Government Area were neither informed nor invited to participate in deliberations regarding the Consensus Chairman Candidate for the party, raising concerns about the legitimacy of the selection.
According to stakeholders I interviewed, consensus should be built through dialogue, not dictated by a few individuals behind closed doors. If the local government APC leadership genuinely values democracy, they must ensure that all stakeholders are involved in the decision-making process.
Particularly concerning is the disregard shown by the Magama Local Government Party Chairman for proper procedures, which could lead to division and unrest within the party, ultimately weakening its credibility.
The call for fairness and adherence to party guidelines is justified; addressing these concerns promptly would be in the best interest of both the party and the people of Magama.
One of the candidates for the consensus, Emmanuel Endazo Alamu, explained in an interview with a correspondent from Nigeria Daily Post why he was not present at the Nasko venue for the chairman consensus. He stated, “Although I did not inform the party executives of my plan to withdraw from the race, it was due to some lapses I observed.”
Emmanuel concluded that after discussions with his sponsors, it was agreed that there would be no fair play in the process, prompting him to step back.
Another party stakeholder from Kura Ward, Mallam Samaila Salka, revealed that since 6 AM, he, the councilor representing Kura Ward, and the ward chairman had not been contacted for the consensus.
They were not given the opportunity to express their support for any candidate during the process.
He emphasized that the candidate put forward by the local party chairman lacks support from the electorate in Kura Ward.
He has liaised with stakeholders from Auna Ward to advocate for Kura Ward to produce a chairmanship candidate, as Kura Ward has never had a chairman of the Magama Local Government Council. Unfortunately, these efforts proved fruitless because they were not given a chance to voice their opinions to the Consensus Committee members.
Alhaji Audu Bako Auna from Auna Ward expressed his frustration over the consensus process, stating it was tainted by selfish individuals focused only on their own interests rather than the party’s.
He mentioned, “As one of the APC stakeholders in Auna Ward, I was not contacted about the process. When I heard that the committee had arrived and was at the party’s secretariat, I attempted to enter, but I was not allowed in.”
He further elaborated, “I then called Hon. Garba Sabo, the Commissioner of Water Resources, and during our discussion, my phone ran out of credit. To this day, he has not called me back.”
Bako appealed to the Governor of the state,Rt. Hon. Mohammed Umaru Bago, to urgently reconsider the conduct of the consensus for the chairmanship aspirants in the area, emphasizing that all wards should be represented and that candidates should not be imposed.
He warned that the chances of APC winning the local government election would be uncertain under current circumstances.
He also noted that their neighbors in Rijau are currently running their process smoothly, questioning why Magama is handling things differently.
We must recognize that these actions represent a slap in the face to democracy and are a shameful display that reflects poorly on our leadership and representation.
