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Nathaniel Gbaoron, Lafia
Arc. Shehu Tukur has been declared winner of the All Progressive Congress (APC) Nasarawa West Senatorial district primary election ahead of the general election in 2023.
Major Gen. (Rtd) Ahmed Jibrin, Chairman of the APC Electoral Committee for the exercise held in Keffi local government area of the state on Saturday said Tukur polled 179 votes to defeat Barr. Labaran Magaji who polled 114 votes.
He said a total of 294 delegates were expected for the exercise, but only 293 were accredited to vote while one delegate was absent.
“With this result and by the powers conferred on me by the national secretariat of our great party, the APC, I declare Architect Shehu Tukur as the winner of this election.
“I wish to use this opportunity to thank the security agencies, and the aspirants for the maturity they exhibited in controlling their supporters.
“I also thank the press for being with us all along and we pray that our candidate that emerged will be the candidate that will win during the general elections in 2023,” he said.
In an interview with newsmen, Tukur appreciated delegates who voted him and pledged to vigorously defend their interests if voted to represent them at the general election in 2023.
He admitted that the process had been transparent, peaceful but also hectic and thanked God for the successful conclusion of the electoral process.
“APC is a family and I will like to call on my co-contestant to join me in ensuring that APC wins not only in Nasarawa West but the whole of Nasarawa state and Nigeria at large.
“It is a great pleasure that we carried this battle up to this level and it has been concluded peacefully. I pray for a peaceful Nasarawa state, peaceful Nigeria. I most sincerely thank everybody involved in this process,” he said.
Also speaking to newsmen, Magaji congratulated Tukur for emerging winner of the contest and also congratulated himself for making it to the end.
“For me alone to fight this battle to this level shows that there is hope ahead of us. Everybody knows the institutions, characters and personalities I withstand till date but I stand tall to arrive at this level.
“So I wat to congratulate myself, congratulate my teeming supporters and APC should be the party to beat in the general elections,” he said.
Our correspondent reports that the keenly contested primary election did not conclude without controversy which led to delay for several days.
The controversy was that the original delegates list for the election was allegedly altered with thereby forcing a frontrunner in the contest, Hon. Ahmed Wadada to withdraw in protest.
Our correspondent further report that despite the withdrawal of Wadada, APC went ahead to conduct the election for the remaining two aspirants, Tukur and Magaji, on Sunday May 29th but as the process was ongoing, angry youths broke security barriers and violently disrupted the process leading to postponement.
When the election did manage to take place on Saturday, June 4th, it was Tukur who emerged victorious in picking the party’s ticket to vie for the Senatorial seat left by Sen. Abdullahi Adamu who now occupies the position of National Chairman of APC.