APC Chairman Abducted in Kaduna Over Primary Elections Misconduct

By Paul Joseph

Tension erupted in Igabi Federal Constituency of Kaduna State on Saturday after chaos broke out during the All Progressives Congress (APC) House of Representatives primary election, leading to the alleged abduction of the party’s local government chairman, Bashir Jibrin Jaji.

The crisis reportedly began shortly after party officials announced Hussaini Jalo as the winner of the primary over rival aspirant Sani Abdulkadir Dakaci, a declaration that immediately sparked outrage among aggrieved supporters.

Angry party members alleged that no proper voting, accreditation, or counting process was conducted before the result was announced, insisting that the exercise was fraudulent and lacked transparency.

Eyewitnesses said the situation escalated when irate youths stormed the APC office in Rigachikun, confronting the local government chairman over what they described as manipulation of the electoral process.

A viral video circulating online reportedly showed the chairman being dragged and forced into a vehicle by aggrieved youths amid rising tension at the party secretariat.

One aggrieved supporter, Musa Salihu, alleged that delegates were never accredited or counted before the announcement of results, insisting that no credible election took place.

“We lined up but nobody counted us. Suddenly, they came out and announced that Jalo had won. That is not democracy because no election was conducted,” he said.

Another party member, Mohammed Abdullahi, said supporters arrived as early as 6 a.m. at the designated venue expecting accreditation and voting, only to later hear that a winner had already been declared elsewhere.

However, a supporter of the APC chairman, Haruna Idris, defended the process, insisting that a valid primary election was conducted and that the declared winner emerged legitimately.

He claimed that while some youths protested the outcome, the chairman was attacked despite efforts by others to protect him from the mob.

The incident has further heightened political tension within the APC in Kaduna State, raising concerns over internal democracy and security during party primaries ahead of the general elections.