Niger East By-Election: Ex-Lawmaker’s Entry Into Race Forces PDP To Drop Consensus Arrangement

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Niger State was yesterday forced to jettison the earlier consensus arrangement for the selection of the party’s candidates for the August 16 by-election into the vacant Niger-East Senatorial District seat.

The seat became vacant following the death of Senator Dahiru Awaisu Kuta last month.

The party had early this month given the ticket to the former deputy governor of the state, Dr. Shem Nuhu Zagbayi.

But following the submission of letter of intent by one time member of the House of Representatives, Abdullahi Musa, to join the race, the party had to make the contest for the ticket open.
Deputy chairman of the party, Barrister Tanko Beji, after receiving the letter of intent from Musa, said with the declaration of the former federal lawmaker, the earlier consensus arrangement has been abandoned, adding that the decision became necessary in order to give all members of the party level playing ground.

He said, “As a party, we are supposed to be free and fair. We don’t have the right to shut our doors. We have decided to receive this letter as we have no other option than to do the right thing as a party”.

Beji noted that after due consultations, the date for the primary election would be announced.

Earlier, Musa explained that he was not party to the decision that produced Zagbayi as consensus candidate of the PDP because he was not consulted.

He argued that by virtue of his position as a former National Assembly member from the zone and bona fide member of the party, he ought to have been invited for the meeting that took the decision for a consensus candidate.