TVC N. The second anniversary award ceremony by the All Progressives Congress in Niger State ended in a fiasco as members protested over the selection of awardees.
Northern City News learnt that the aggrieved party members walked out of the event held on Saturday at Justice Legbo Kutigi Conference Hall.
Our correspondent also learnt that the angry party loyalists disagreed with the criteria used in selecting the awardees and left the hall before Governor Abubakar Bello read his address.
Checks indicated that the hall was almost empty by the time the governor delivered his speech.
Investigation showed that almost all the elected national and state assembly members on the platform of the party were absent except Senator Aliyu Sabi and and two House of Representatives members.
Those on the list of awardees included a former Deputy Governor of Niger State, Alhaji Ahmed Ibeto, and those that decamped with him from the Peoples Democratic Party to the APC few days to the 2015 elections and the state commissioner of Works and Transport, Mohammed Cheche.
A party member from Suleja Local Government, Sani Mohammed, alleged that the awards were sold and bought.
“The awardees received special recognition because they had money to give to the party executive. This is a cash-and-carry award and it is not good for the party,” he said as he stormed out of the hall.
Another member from Bida, Muhamud Musa, described the award as “shameless and capable of tearing the party apart,” adding that some members may feel alienated and abandoned after they had worked very hard for the success of the party in the state.
Bello, in his address, said his administration was determined to tackle security challenges in the state for enhanced development.
