Niger governor’s uncle, Sani Basket, dumps APC few hours to general election
A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Niger State, Mustapha Sani aka Basket, has dumped the ruling party.
Mr Basket, who is an uncle to Niger State governor, Sani Bello, dumped the party a few hours after he was suspended by Central Ward Kontagora over alleged anti-party activities.
DAILY NIGERIAN gathered that the governor’s uncle, during a recent radio interview, asked electorate not to re-elect Idris Garba as House of Representatives member for Kontagora/Mariga/Wushishi/Mashegu Federal Constituency.
Mr Garba, who is the candidate of APC, is seeking to return to the National Assembly for the fifth time.
“We strongly write to convey the resolution of our great party, APC Central Ward Kontagora for the suspension of Honourable Sani Bello Mustapha (Basket) indefinitely.
“Our collective resolution to suspend the aforesaid member from the party is due to his anti-party activities i.e campaigning against his party which is capable of tarnishing the good image of the party.
“Your utterances in the Landmark F.M. Station dated 21st February 2023 is a clear testimony that the person in question has not been adhering to the party’s constitution. With this letter of suspension, the person in question [Hon. Sani Bello Mustapha] is hereby suspended indefinitely from the party,” the suspension letter reads.
The letter was copied to the Niger APC chairman, the Kontagora Local Government party chairman, the APC zonal chairman, and all APC stakeholders of the Central Ward, Kontagora.
But reacting to his suspension in a video message, Mr Basket said he had dumped the party.
“I just received information that a letter has been circulating on social media purportedly signed by my ward chairman and secretary that I have been suspended from the party.
“I commend them for executing the job they were asked to do. I know it wasn’t their decision, they only acted on the instructions given to them by some people.
“But I want to tell them not to waste their time further, from now henceforth, I have ceased to be a member of the APC,” he said.
