By Godwin Agia, Jalingo
A senatorial aspirant for Taraba North, Hon. Kabiru Bello Bandawaire, has rejected moves toward a consensus arrangement in the All Progressives Congress (APC) primaries, insisting on a direct and transparent electoral process.
Bandawaire made this known on Friday in Jalingo while interacting with journalists. He noted that his priority is representing the people, not the government, and argued that consensus undermines democratic choice.
The aspirant also urged Governor Agbu Kefas to stay out of the process, warning that any interference could backfire.
Bandawaire questioned why a three-term senator would push for consensus instead of primaries, asking, “What is the fear about? If you opt for consensus in the primary election, what about the general elections? That is not democracy.”
“First and foremost, it is not about the government; it is about the people. I am representing the interests of the people.
On this issue of consensus, I do not consent to it at all. All I want is direct primaries, and the direct primaries should be conducted through a transparent process. The beauty of democracy is that the majority must have its way.
“The feedback I am getting is that the governor, Dr. Agbu Kefas, needs to do more homework. People are digging a grave for him. I am appealing to him to allow direct primaries to proceed seamlessly. He should not interfere because such interference will have negative consequences,” he said.
Reacting to comments made at a recent stakeholders’ meeting that primaries waste resources, Bandawaire explained that funding the process is the responsibility of the party, not the state government.
He also challenged the governor to test his position on consensus by asking the incumbent senator representing the northern zone to step down for him.
“The party sold forms, and we purchased them. I bought my form for N20 million, just like other aspirants, so the party has the responsibility to fund its activities, not the state government.
“Since I do not support consensus, let the governor try to persuade the northern senator to adopt consensus by stepping down for me and see whether he will agree. If he will not agree, why should I?” he said.
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