APC Primaries: Shehu Sani Offered Me N10m Bribe – Electoral Panel Chair Alleges

BY AMOS TAUNA, KADUNA – The Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Electoral Panel that supervised the conduct of the party’s primaries in Kaduna State, Mr. Matthew Iduoriyekemwen, has alleged that Senator Shehu Sani him N10 million bribe to get an affirmation for his automatic ticket.

Iduoriyekemwen dropped the bombshell in Kaduan on Friday while responding to questions over allegations that the committee took bribe to skew the results of the primaries election in favour of some preferred aspirants of the APC in the state.

But in a swift reaction however, Senator Shehu Sani through his media adviser, Abdulsamad Chima Amadi described the allegation as totally unfounded, mischievous, frivolous, clearly sponsored and far from the truth.

Amadi in a statement said it is clear that the committee chairman had a dream to that effect, stressing that it is laughable for him to claim that an aspirant, who was the Sole Candidate cleared in Kaduna Central offered him financial inducements.

The APC Electoral Panel chairman for Kaduna said that the only person in Kaduna State who offered him money through one of his Committee members, who informed him that N10m gift has been set aside him was Senator Shehu Sani,

In his words; “I said we don’t need the money, asking them what the money was for. Even after the primaries, before the announcement of results, Senator Sani and his men put pressure on us to come and take the money. He called me several times, but we made it clear to him that we don’t need cash inducement at all.”

The Electoral Panel Chairman said that Senator Sani made last minute efforts to get him to accept the offer to no avail. He tried to convince me that he was the Sole Candidate and that was why I must accept the money.

“I told him pointedly that I was in Kaduna on assignment for the National Working Committee, with a brief to do free and fair primary elections for duly-cleared candidates.”

Iduoriyekemwen, who was former Majority Leader of the Edo State House of Assembly, expressed readiness to forward the telephone number of his Committee member, through whom the pledge of N10m offer was announced to the leadership of the party.

He expressed satisfaction with the manner in which the election was conducted, describing it as “peaceful, orderly and rancour-free.”

While debunking the allegations which he described as spurious, Amadi said; “First of all, Senator Shehu Sani virtually had no rival in the primaries as he was the only person cleared. So, what does he need to bribe the committee for?

“Secondly, when the committee and the state government connived to stage a fake senatorial primaries in Kaduna state, Senator Shehu Sani made it crystal clear that he was not going to participate in the so called primaries because it was an illegality. 

“So when you look at it from all angles, senator Shehu Sani had no reason whatsoever to bribe the committee.

“Senator Shehu Sani is a distinguished and law abiding citizen who has over the years earned a good name for himself through his uncompromising stance against corruption.

“It is obvious that some desperate politicians who have become synonymous with failure are behind all this baseless and frivolous accusations. 

“Just like all their attempts to malign, frame up, intimidate and harm Senator Shehu Sani in the past failed, this one too has failed on arrival.

“No amount of blackmail will deter or distract Senator Shehu Sani. We stand by the mandate given to him by the APC and good people of Kaduna Central, and as usual, that mandated shall be put to good use for the betterment of our people.”