Stop Spreading Lies, Accept the Defeat
By Safullahi Ahmad Gaya
AREWA AGENDA – As people believe that there is a thin line between confidence and arrogance. If asked, most people would admit that they would prefer to be called confident, rather than arrogant. An arrogant person may end up limiting his opportunities in life, as people wouldn’t want to be associated with an arrogant person.
According to self-professed thought leader and author of The Light In The Heart: Roy T. Bennett said “Do not let arrogance go to your head and despair to your heart; do not let compliments go to your head and criticisms to your heart; do not let success go to your head and failure to your heart.”
In every election, there is a loser and the winner but in Nigeria’s context of an election, a loser does not easily accept either people or distinguished delegates’ verdicts without giving a flimsy excuse leading to his loss. Former New Media Aide to President Buhari, Bashir Ahmad aspire the seat to represent Gaya/Ajingi/Albasu/ Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives against the serving member who defeated him with 109 to 16 votes. The delegates affirmed the preferable aspirant who is the serving member representing the constituency, but in the true nature of Nigeria’s politicians, Bashir shouldn’t conceive of the defeat by spreading different lies. I can categorically say to the best of my knowledge the Primary election for the said Constituency was conducted in a very peaceful atmosphere devoid of any security breach.
In the buildup to the primary election, Kano State APC held Kano South Senatorial district stakeholders meeting at Coronation Hall of Kano Government’s House in its efforts to have smooth primary elections. the serving members and aspirants of different elective positions attended the meeting. I can recall at the meeting he had spoken arrogantly for more than 10 minutes without recourse of decency and respect to the party stakeholders and categorically shown his aspiration was supported by the Villa as he claimed and implied in his speaking before them and peoples at large.
Unfortunately, Bashir Ahmad let his arrogance go to his head before Governor Ganduje and other APC stakeholders as he thought the election is winnable on the pages of social media platforms and said he rather be defeated at the poll. I am amazed by his desperation at the same time pitying him for falling into the traps of the sweet mouth of so-called heavyweight politicians in the constituency as the best way to describe him like the phase used in the nation’s universities of Jonny Just Come (JJC). He is Jonny in the murky water of politics.
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His desperation for the seat made him blind from seeing the truth by opting in using a dubious trick of manipulating the fact. After losing the election, his interview with Kano based media outlet, Freedom Radio and others written on his social media pages clearly showed his ignorance of the Nigerian Electoral Act 2022.
Electoral Act 2022, recognizes three modes of conducting primary elections towards choosing candidates of political parties, namely, direct, indirect and consensus modes of the primary election, your party Nomination of candidates was conducted through indirect primaries in which delegates are meant to vote.
In the case of nominations to the position of a Senatorial candidate, a Member of the House of Representatives and a Member of a State House of Assembly, the political party shall, where it intends to sponsor candidates, (i) hold special congresses in the Senatorial District, Federal Constituency and the State Assembly Constituency respectively, with delegates voting for aspirants of their choice in designated centres on specified dates, and (ii) the aspirant with the highest number of votes cast at the end of voting shall be declared the winner of the primaries of the party and the aspirant’s name shall be forwarded to the Commission as the candidate of the party. The act clearly stated that Section 84 of the Nigerian Electoral Act 2022, among others, is under Part V of the Act. Part V is titled POLITICAL PARTIES. Bashir should visit those sections for more familiarisation.
How on earth did the defeated aspirant come to say that if he had been wished, Gaya/Ajingi/Albasu/ Federal Constituency primary election would be conducted in Abuja. Had the act allowed such special preferable treatment I am sure President’s nephew will not lose his bid to get a re-election ticket for Daura/Sandamu/Maiadua Federal Constituency.
Another issue Mr Bashir raised in rejection of the primary election exercise For Albasu/Gaya/Ajingi Federal Constituency is that he has been denied access to the voting area. Contrary to his claim on political thugs denied him and his peoples access to the venue, this narration is nothing but a losing hangover, I had seen no thugs either within the venue or around as Nigeria police provided minimum security and I have seated close to him at the Gaya Local Government Islamic Centre by his left-hand side.
Let him understand that the election was not won on social media platforms. Did he not the one who raised the issue before returning officer of the election that delegates’ lists are not the same lists issued to him from Abuja?.
Let me remind him that section 121(1) of the Electoral Act, 2022 forbids the buying and selling of votes. Is he not the same person that has connived with so-called political heavyweight from Albasu and Ajingi local government areas where there is alleged doled out of the money in millions of naira to them with promises they will deliver him delegates from the areas?
Most amazed and childish utterance made by him during an interview with Freedom Radio has portrayed him as a position monger fear of life after office. There is a need for him to stop spreading the lies to accept the defeat and burying his head in the sand.
Safullahi writes in from the Gaya Local Government Area of Kano state
