By Ahmed Idris
Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna state said on Friday that the issuance of automatic ticket to the senator representing Kaduna Central Senatorial zone, Mr. Shehu Sani, would lead to the All Progressives Congress (APC) losing the seat to the opposition parties.
Speaking to State House correspondents after a close-door meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, the governor said that Sani had caused the state to miss N100 billion World Bank loan that could have been used to develop the state.
The governor said he was at the Presidential Villa to brief the President on the crisis brewing as a result of the substitution of candidates for electoral offices by the party at the national headquarters ahead of next year’s’ general elections.
He said: “Many contestants that have been screened by the committee, were removed from the list unilaterally by some elements in the party, they are rumors that some people have been granted automatic tickets but by yesterday when the representatives of the progressive governors forum met with Mr President and national chairman.
“We thought that this rumour of automatic ticket which has no place in our constitution and any enlighten democracy have been resolved .but up to the time I left Kaduna this morning and came to see the president, we did not receive the list of those that will contest the legislative elections.
“On my way I received a list of our state party structure but it seems to me there are still exclusions. As you know exclusion is one of the many reasons elections are lost at the tribunal level. We are being careful. In Kaduna state we do not practice imposition, force people to step down for anyone, we believe in elections and we like people to subject themselves to full democratic process.
“In some states, you have one list from the governor, we don’t have any list. We gave everyone a level playing ground as subject to meeting the requirements of the party, everyone is allowed to contest and may the best man win.
“The President restated his position that he is a democrat, product of elections and he has never encouraged non-election. He has never supported imposition and he has never asked anyone to grant anybody automatic tickets.
“The position was restated yesterday (Thursday) to the progressive governors forum and he told me this and said he will take necessary steps to communicate this very clearly to the party leadership.”
