Few days to the 2023 governorship election, Niger State Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Alhaji Haliru Zakari Jikantoro has been suspended over alleged anti party activities.
He was suspended by the Kashini ward executives in Agwara Local Government Council as a result of infraction on the provision of the party Constitution.
The suspension of the Chairman is generating tension in the party as some State exco members have expressed their anger, saying that the development was coming at the wrong time.
In a letter of suspension by the party ward executive dated March 2nd, 2023, that was signed by the 21 member executive and addresed to Agwara Local Government Chairman of the party, a copy which was made available to journalists in Minna on Friday, said the chairman was suspended for violating and disregarding the party’s constitution.
The party in the suspension letter equally accused the Chairman of involving himself in act which the party said was capable of undermining the success of the party during the just concluded Presidential and the National Assembly elections in the state.
The Ward Executives further accused the embattled chairman of engaging in anti-party activities during the just concluded Presidential election by secretly working for the Presidential candidate of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.
According to the party, “it is on record that Hon. Haliru Zakeri Jikantoro has been indulging in anti-party activities by canvassing votes for the Peoples Democratic Party for the Presidential and National Assembly elections”.
Hon. Jikantoro is also being accused of refusal to call stakeholders meeting of the Ward and local government, in addition to his refusal to consult with party stakeholders before the Presidential and National Assembly elections, a pointer to the fact that he was secretly working for the opposition party.
All attempts to get the reactions of the suspended chairman could not yield any results as all his phone lines were switched off even as the Publicity Secretary of the party, Mallam Musa Sarkin Kaji could not respond to several calls put across to him for his reactions.
The suspension of the party chairman is coming barely one week after the party suspended a chieftain of the party, Alhaji Sani Bello Mustapha, aka Sani Basket, who is an uncle to the state Governor, Alhaji Abubakar Sani Bello from the party, on allegations of anti-party activities.
The suspended party Chieftain was accused of working and opely campaigning for the Presidential Candiadate of the main opposition party, the People Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and other candidates of the PDP in the state in last Saturday elections.
In a letter of suspension by the APC Central Ward Kontagora and signed by the Ward Chairman and Secretary, Alhaji Hamza Magidad and Alhaji Abdullahi Kira, respectively, they accused Sani Bello Mustafa of anti party activities.
Part of the four paragraph suspension letter, reads: “Our collective resolution to suspend aforesaid member from the party is due to anti party activities i.e. campaigning against the party which is capable of tarnishing the good image of the party”.
