By ARMSTRONG ALLAHMAGANI, Bauchi –
A youth group of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Bauchi State under the aegis of “Coalition of APC Groups” has accused the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Social Development and Disaster Management, Sadiya Farouk, of financially inducing delegates of the party to vote for her husband, Abubakar Sadique, at the governorship primary in the state.
NATIONAL ACCORD reports that the immediate past Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Abubakar Sadique, is one of the governorship aspirants in the state under the APC platform.
The Coalition, in a media statement made available to journalists, by its leader, Yusuf Ajiya, alleged that the minister is using the survival funds meant to assist downtrodden citizens in the state to lure delegates to choose her husband in the upcoming governorship primaries.
The group alleged that the Minister took the details of APC party members that will participate in the forthcoming primary election as beneficiaries of the funds instead of taking the names of “the right beneficiaries” to benefit from the survival funds.
According to the group, it is unlawful for the minister to convert humanitarian assistance into campaign funds.
“It has come to our notice that the Minister is using survival funds to induce delegates to choose her husband in the governorship primaries. Recently, she collected names and account details of delegates in the name of survival funds which is supposed to be for the less privileged instead of delegates.
“Her action was meant to induce them into voting her husband Air Marshall Sadiq Abubakar as the APC governorship candidate of Bauchi state,” the group alleged.
The group therefore, called on President Muhammadu Buhari, to sanction her.
But in a reaction, the Air Marshal Abubakar Sadique Campaign Organization, denied and dismissed the allegation declaring that there is no truth whatsoever in the claim.
Chairman of the Media Council of the Organization, Salisu Barau, said: “What Hajiya Sadiya Umar Farouk is doing has nothing to do with her Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management, she is doing it in her capacity as a woman of Bauchi State.
“They should remember that she is married to His Excellency, Ambassador Saddique Baba Abubakar by virtue of which she is an indegene of Bauchi State and has the right to contribute to the development of the state unhindered”.
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