The candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for Yobe North Senatorial District, Mr. Bashir Machina, has alleged of a plot to forge his signature on a letter to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) purporting his withdrawal from the 2023 contest.
The APC candidate sounded the alarm in a statement issued in Abuja by the spokesman for his campaign organisation, Mr. Husaini Isah.
Recall that Machina who emerged the candidate for the zone at the APC primary has been under intense pressure to relinquish the mandate to the senate president, Mr. Ahmad Lawan who took part in the presidential primary but lost to Bola Tinubu.
In a statement entitled ‘Attempt to forge Machina’s withdrawal letter appalling, criminal – Campaign Organisation’ the APC candidate described the plot for to force him to forgo the mandate as “unfortunate” and a “criminal offence.”
“Information available to Bashir Machina Campaign Organisation has it that some individuals have entered an unholy alliance with some compromised leaders to forge the withdrawal letter of Yobe North APC senatorial candidate, Hon. Bashir Sheriff Machina even after communicating formally to the Party leadership affirming his stand not to step-down for anybody.
“It is sad and indeed unfortunate that after all the cries and alarm raised by the Campaign Organisation exposing sinister plot to subvert the will of people of Yobe North, some mischievous elements are hell-bent and determined to carry out their criminal offence.
“It has eventually come to light in this untidy business of forged withdrawal letter, that some compromised leaders have become slave to corruption and criminality in Nigeria.
“Facts affirming our earlier accusation that some individuals were trying to forge the withdrawal letter of Bashir Machina have emerged, and as Campaign Organisation we want to make it abundantly clear that any withdrawal letter carrying the signature of our candidate is a forged document and does not emanate from him.
“We wonder how a sane person could delve into this embarrassing action which is criminal in nature and has the potential of soiling the reputation of the APC as a party that stands for justice.
“We want to reiterate that Bashir Machina’s letter dated 13th June which was sent to the national chairman of the APC, Abdullahi Adamu still stands and any attempt to forge his withdrawal letter would be treated as a pure criminal offense irrespective of the calibre of person (s) involved,” the campaign organisation said.
