From Mustapha Isah Kwaru, Maiduguri
The All Progressives Congress, APC, in Borno State on Thursday raised alarm, alleging plot by a group of politicians from the state who have hired thugs (some of them possibly armed) from Kaduna State and being imported into Borno to stage-manage a protest in Maiduguri on Friday for the sole purpose of destabilizing the APC governorship primaries scheduled for Saturday.
State publicity secretary of the APC, Makinta Zarami, said in a statement that the party had information that on Wednesday night, some representatives of the group held meeting in Kaduna during which it was agreed that a protest be stage-managed to attract the national leadership of the APC to create false impression of popular opposition to indirect primaries already approved by the National Working Committee for the conduct of the governorship primaries.
He said, during the Kaduna meeting, some members of the group boasted of working in collaboration with someone at the national headquarters of the APC who promised to initiate controversies at an NWC meeting on the basis the stage-managed protest.
The Borno APC also said even while the fake protests is being plotted against indirect primaries already adopted for Borno, the ultimate motive is to introduce a dubious register of APC members in the state against the authentic register and membership cards from the National headquarters which were presented to state executives of the party.
The APC said it was alerting security agencies to avert any breakdown of law and order, while also notifying members of the party and supporters in the State as well as the national headquarters of the party ahead of the already masterminded plot to destabilize Borno’s primaries.
The party said its officials will, as neutral umpires, remain firm in preparations to organize free, fair and credible primaries for emergence of candidates on the basis of their popularity as to be elected by valid delegates.
The APC urged its members and supporters to remain law abiding, while also
calling on all aspirants and their associates to carry out their political activities in peaceful and lawful manners.
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