From Victor Osula, Abuja
The Letter
The last word appears to be heard yet politically on the senatorial ambition of the President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan who has been ruled out of the race by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, for flouting the Electoral Act against standing for two primaries at the same time.
Referring to a new antics by rivals against his candidacy, Bashir Sheriff Machina who won the party primary and has been duly recognised by INEC, said on Sunday that “some unscrupulous elements have forged my withdrawal letter out of mischief and blackmail.”
According to him, a letter on his letterhead, signed by a forger titled “Resignation from the All Progressives Congress, APC, Withdrawal from Yobe North Senatorial Race” and addressed to the party National Chairman, Abdullahi Adamu, implied that he had left the party and withdrawn his candidature and thereby giving the party the power to replace him. The letter written on his letterhead was stamped received by the office of the Chairman. Curiously the letter that was dated September 4, 2022 while the official stamp of the party secretariat carried a July, 2022 date make a mockery of the intention of the writer.
According to Machina; “I want to state unequivocally that the purported letter was forged. I did not at any time withdraw nor resign from my party.
“I was shocked when I discovered that some persons concocted plans to mislead the public particularly my supporters into believing that I have withdrawn.
“The discrepancies between the two dates especially between the date of writing the purported letter and the date it was receipt exposed the authors inadequacies and lack of sufficient administrative knowledge.
“Although we suspect that this letter may be another fake news and the hand work of enemies of peace, yet the APC’s National secretariat must speak up on it since it is carrying the official stamp of the secretariat.
“For the avoidance of doubt, I have not resigned nor withdrawn my candidature, I am in APC and have no intention to move to any party. I will (Insha Allah) pursue my senatorial ambition on the platform of the All-Progressives Congress.
“I have already instructed my lawyers to review the fake letter and take necessary legal actions against the culprit(s).”
Attempts to get reaction from the APC national secretariat proved abortive as National Publicity Secretary, Mr Felix Morka was unreachable.
