Winner of the All Progressives Congress primary election in Yobe North, Bashir Machina, on Tuesday, cried out over alleged attempt to forge a letter claiming he has withdrawn from the race.
There has been a running battle between Machina and Senate President Ahmad Lawan for the ruling APC Senatorial ticket in Yobe North.
Machina was declared winner of the APC Senatorial primaries conducted on May 28, 2022, in Gashua, having
polled 289 out of the 300 votes cast by the delegates in the election.
But the APC National Chairman, Senator Abdullahi Adamu, had submitted Lawan’s name as candidate of the senatorial district for the election.
But the Senate President, who lost in his bid for the APC presidential ticket, did not contest in the senatorial primary election.
Following the raging controversy over the matter, the Independent National Electoral Commission has refused to list any candidate for Yobe North.
Spokesman of Machina Campaign Organisation, Hussaini Isah, in a statement on Tuesday, urged Nigerians to be on alert.
Isah alleged that some desperate persons wanted to create the impression that he Machina had withdrawn from the race.
According to the statement, “Information available to the Bashir Machina Campaign Organisation has it that some individuals have entered an unholy alliance with some compromised leaders to forge the withdrawal letter of Yobe North APC senatorial candidate, Bashir Machina, even after communicating formally to the Party leadership affirming his stand not to step-down for anybody.
“It is sad and indeed unfortunate that after all the cries and alarm raised by the campaign organisation exposing a sinister plot to subvert the will of people of Yobe North, some mischievous elements are hell-bent and determined to carry out their criminal offence.
“It has eventually come to light in this untidy business of a forged withdrawal letter, that some compromised leaders have become slaves to corruption and criminality in Nigeria.”
Machina again emphasised that he would not step down, stressing that any letter of withdrawal received was not from him.
He said, “Facts affirming our earlier accusation that some individuals were trying to forge the withdrawal letter of Bashir Machina have emerged, and as a Campaign Organisation, we want to make it abundantly clear that any withdrawal letter carrying the signature of our candidate is a forged document and did not emanate from him.
“We wonder how a sane person could delve into this embarrassing action which is criminal in nature and has the potential of soiling the reputation of the APC as a party that stands for justice.
“We want to reiterate that Bashir Machina’s letter dated 13th June which was sent to the National Chairman of the APC, Abdullahi Adamu, still stands and any attempt to forge his withdrawal letter would be treated as a pure criminal offence irrespective of the calibre of person(s) involved.”