Incumbent Senator Defeated in Niger APC Senatorial Primary

By Laleye Dipo in Minna

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has announced the result of the senatorial primary election for Niger East senatorial zone of Niger State.

The result showed that Alhaji Sani Musa (alias 313) won the election by 39,192 votes to defeat the incumbent senator from the zone and Chairman, Senate Committee on Judiciary and Human Rights, Senator David Umaru, who polled 5,870 votes.

The result was announced by the returning officer for the primary election, Alhaji Saidu Akawu, who said the election was peaceful, free and fair and was conducted in a transparent and orderly manner.

There had been tension in the state following the delay in the release of the result with the supporters of the victorious candidates expressing fears that the result could be cancelled.

The results of other senatorial zones, according to Akawu, would be announced at the senatorial zone headquarters according to the guidelines for the polls

Earlier, the state chairman of the party, Alhaji Jibrin Imam, had warned the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party against cancelling the results, a warning that arose as a result of the disappearance of the chairman of the election committee and former Edo State deputy governor, Mr Lucky Imasuen.
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Imam had said the warning was also necessary because “tension is already building in the state over the non-release of the result”.

“People are trooping to Minna from all over the state because of this thing. We want the man to come and declare the results,” he said.
Imam said all the stakeholders agreed that the direct primary method should be adopted for the primary election, adding that the exercise was conducted in a peaceful atmosphere.

He however said that Niger State APC “is intact” adding that the state would give President Muhammadu Buhari a resounding victory in 2019, insisting that “Niger state is pro Buhari”.

Asked if any petition had been received by the party, Imam said no, adding that: “If a sitting senator does not know the process to follow only to go to the press, it is unfortunate.”

Senator David Umaru had picked holes in the conduct of the election.