Machina raises the alarm over alleged plot by APC to forge his withdrawal for Lawan

The Yobe North senatorial candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Bashir Machina, has raised an alarm that some members of the party plan to forge his signature on a letter, stating his voluntary withdrawal for Senate President Ahmad Lawan.

The allegation was contained in a statement by Machina’s campaign organisation, signed by its spokesperson, Husaini Isah on Tuesday.

While the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had confirmed Machina as the APC candidate for the Yobe North Senatorial district, the leadership of the party insisted that Lawan was the candidate.

The APC National Chairman, Abdullahi Adamu, earlier said that the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, who contested the party’s presidential primary election, also participated in the Yobe North senatorial election and purportedly emerged winner.

Meanwhile, the Machina campaign organization stated that some members of the APC, whom it described as “slaves to corruption and criminality” were behind the plot to manipulate the candidacy of the senatorial district, which was reportedly won by Machina.

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The statement read, “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, Hon 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 further reiterated his position that he would not step down and any letter of withdrawal received was not from him rather they were forged.

“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 does 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,” the statement added,

By Oluwatobi Odeyinka:

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