The rift in the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Niger State came to a fore as the state leadership of the party advised its supporters to shun a planned campaign organised by the Chief Whip of the Senate, Senator Aliyu Abdullahi Sabi, representing Niger North Senatorial District and National Coordinator, of Tinubu/Shettima campaign.
The said rally was fixed for today, 31 January 2023 in New Bussa.
Senator Sabi had through his Special Assistant, Operations, Mohammed Garba Danladi in a letter dated 27/01/2023 and addressed to the state party chairman, Hon. Haliru Zakari Jikantoro, notified the party and the working committee of the planned ‘Grand Lockdown Rally’ in New Bussa town to galvanize support for APC candidates.
The letter stated: “I am directed to invite you and your exco to the Grand Lockdown Rally in honour of Jagaban Borgu and Kashim Shettima, our party’s Presidential and Vice Presidential candidates, Hon. Mohammed Bago with Comrade Yakubu Garba as gubernatorial and deputy governorship candidates for Niger State in the 2023 general elections, in view of the need to galvanize support and positively enhance the chances of our party in the forthcoming elections. We wish to solicit and count on your unflinching support towards the success of the rally.”
However, Niger APC State Working Committee in a statement by its publicity secretary, Mallam Musa Dan Sarkindaji, on Monday disclosed that the chairman of the party, Hon Haliru Zakari Jikantoro has disassociated himself from the campaign.
The statement reads in part: “The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Niger State under the leadership of Hon Haliru Zakari Jikantoro has disassociated itself from [the] lockdown rally organized in New Bussa, Borgu Local Government Area of the state.
“The party wishes to draw [the] attention of all party faithful, not to honour and attend [the] rally as it contravenes [the] unified campaign structure as designed by the party.”
There are speculations that the stalemate may not be unconnected to the cold war between the state governor, Alh. Abubakar Sani Bello, the leader of the party in Niger State and Senator Sabi, convener of the campaign in New Bussa where he hails from.