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This was revealed by a governorship aspirant of the party in Yobe State, Mr. Mustapha Maihaja.
Maihaja who has been battling to submit his expression of interest and nomination forms to the party secretariats in Abuja and Damaturu, alleged that the National Secretary, Mr. Mai Mala Buni, had told him that it was the policy of the party that nobody should contest against all the incumbent governors.
Maihaja, who cried out over the refusal of the state chapter of the party to accept his nomination form, said it would amount to injustice for the party to toe the step.
Meanwhile, another governorship aspirant, from Sokoto State, Aliyu Abubakar Sanyinna, has expressed outrage over move to frustrate his submission of nomination form.
Sanyinna, who was a former Sokoto State Commissioner for Information and state Attorney General, explained that he came to the national secretariat in Abuja to return his form as stipulated by the party guidelines but was redirected to go back to the state.
While speaking with journalists at the party secretariat, Maihaja also complained about how he was denied submission of his nomination form by the chairman of the party in the state without any reason.
Maihaja who said he had earlier contested for the party’s ticket during the 2011 elections but could not secure the ticket, said his attempt to return his nomination form to the state secretariat was rebuffed by the state chapter.
The aspirant said he had gone to the state secretariat in Yobe State on Monday as advised by Senator Osita Izunaso but said he and his supporters were stopped from entering Damanturu from Nguru.
“We were denied entry into Damaturu yesterday (Monday) by the police on the order of the governor. But here I am again nobody is ready to receive the form from me everyone is avoiding telling me why they are doing this to me.”
He recalled how he came to the national secretariat last Friday, some party officials with the national secretary of the party told him to take his form back to Damaturu.
According to him, when he wanted to know why he was not allowed to submit his nomination form, the National Secretary, Alhaji Mala Buni, told him it was the policy of the party that automatic ticket be given to all its sitting governors whose first tenure is about to expire and any aspirant contesting against them would be disqualified.
According to Maihaja, when he was denied the form by the state chapter of the party, he ran to the national secretariat in Abuja as directed by its National Chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, who ensured he got the form.
But when he brought back the same form on Thursday to submit to the Director of Organisation of the party, Alhaji Abubakar Jari, who gave him the form, he was told to take the form back to Damaturu for submission.
He said on getting to the party secretariat in Damaruru, the police refused him entry on the orders of the state chairman.
“The police stopped my entourage but when I contacted the Commissioner of Police, I was allowed to pass alone.
“However. it was a mild drama as he insisted in submitting his form but a call came from the office of the Organising Secretary, Senator Izunaso, asking him to join in taking a group photograph with another governorship aspirant for Delta State, Olorogun O’tega Emerhor, who also came to submit his form.
“After taking some photographs, Izunaso accepted the form from the other candidate but the moment Maihaja brought out his own and said he is from Yobe state the Organising Secretary told him to submit it to Jari, who had earlier rejected the form. However, Izunaso advised Maihaja to go back to Damaturu to return his form.”
An enraged Maihaja stormed out of the Organising Secretary’s office alleging that the National Secretary, Mai Mala Buni and Governor Ibrahim Geidam might be behind his travails.
“I was invited to a meeting with Jari, Senator Izunaso, George Morgalu and the National Secretary, Buni where the National Secretary told me that it was the policy of the party that nobody should contest against all the governors. This is strange to me and nobody had ever said that before. George Morgalu corroborated the National Secretary,” the Yobe State governorship aspirant told journalists.
Mahaja told journalists that the party leadership had asked him to go back again to Yobe State to submit his form, adding that the Oyegun, had directed the state chapter to collect the form.
On his next line of action over the form, he said: “I would not give up because I know the national secretary is not saying the whole truth. I am sure the leadership of the party would revisit the Yobe State issue. What I am doing is in the interest of our party.”
A top party official who does not want to be quoted told journalists that the party had no choice but to intervene in the embarrassing situation.
“This is embarrassing to us because there was never a time when we gave automatic ticket to any governor. But let me assure you that the National Executive council (NEC) of the party would look into the matter dispassionately. Our policy is to allow every aspirant to participate in a level playing field,” he said.
On why he was contesting, Maihaja who rolled out a list of his manifestoes and programmes which he said would change “Yobe State from being called a rural area into urban if implemented,” said the party might run into a problem if it is banking on the governor as candidate.
Maihaja said: “If I am elected governor, I would use my experience in the private sector as an electrical engineer to transform the state into an enviable status. Every sector of the state would be transformed; education, health, infrastructure and employment for our youths with a view to addressing the ongoing security challenges facing the North-east,” he added.
Source: Thisday
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