PDP Governorship primary in Niger, marred by protest and vandalism

The Peoples Democratic Party chapter of Niger State has postponed its governorship primary earlier slated to hold on Wednesday over protest.

The protest was over the authenticity of the delegates list by four of the five governorship aspirants.

The aspirants had threatened to stage a walkout if their demand of ensuring proper identification of all the proposed 800 delegates is not carried out.

Representing the aggrieved aspirants, Isah Jankara said the exercise can only go ahead if each of the delegates can properly identify themselves with either a national driver’s licence, National identity card or International passport.

The Chairman of the Electoral panel, Mr. Ewhrudjakpo had a meeting with the aggrieved aspirants but was unable to resolve the problem as they insisted on their demands.

Ewhrudjakpo was left with no option but to direct all delegates to get means of identifying themselves and shifted the exercise to Thursday.

It was gathered that the protest had to do with the rumoured endorsement of Isah Liman Kantigi, as the preferred choice of the party, by the stakeholders and the state working committee of the party, ahead of the primary.

The four protesting aspirants are Sani Idris Kutigi, Alhaji Sidi Abdul, Former Minister of Sports, Barrister Abdulrahman Gimba and Engr Abubakar Isah