The All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate for Ibarapa Central and Ibarapa North Federal Constituency, Hon. Sarafa Olaito Olaoniye Bibi’re, has denied persecuting aggrieved members of the party, saying his petition to security agencies was aimed at preventing a breakdown of law and preserving the peace.
Bibi’re made the clarification in a statement issued on Tuesday, in response to an earlier publication accusing him of targeting some party members.
He said his attention was drawn to the publication concerning some aggrieved members whose actions are at variance with the rules of engagement, established procedures and internal regulations of the party in Ibarapa Central.
According to him, he would ordinarily not have responded, but it became necessary to set the record straight following attempts to distort facts and make a controversy out of an issue that ought to have been resolved through established party structures.
Bibi’re explained that since the leadership of the party settled for him as its preferred choice for the House of Representatives seat, a small group loyal to a certain politician has continued to express dissatisfaction in ways capable of undermining party unity.
He described their conduct as absurd, noting that the individual whose interest they claim to be defending has already secured the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) ticket.
The APC candidate also accused the group of rejecting the newly constituted party executives at the local level despite endorsement by the appropriate authorities at the highest level of the party, and of organizing parallel meetings on the same dates, times and venues as the recognized party meetings on no fewer than three or four occasions.
He said under the circumstances, and in the interest of preventing any possible breakdown of law and order, a petition was submitted to the Nigeria Police Force and the Department of State Services (DSS).
“The decision was not taken out of malice, vindictiveness or a desire to persecute anyone; rather, it was a responsible step intended to draw the attention of the relevant authorities to a situation that could threaten the peace and security of our constituency if left unaddressed,” Bibi’re stated.
He urged the general public to disregard any campaign of calumny or attempt to misrepresent the purpose of the petition, stressing that seeking the intervention of security agencies is lawful and preventive, not punitive.
“No individual, regardless of political influence or ambition, should be permitted to compromise communal peace or undermine established party structures through the actions of loyalists,” he said.
Bibi’re maintained that party discipline is non-negotiable and that membership comes with responsibilities.
“Where disagreements arise, the proper course is to seek redress through the party’s established mechanisms. Party loyalty cannot be selective,” he added.
He, however, said his doors remain open to the aggrieved members as brothers and sisters, provided they respect the party’s constitution, or they are free to follow their principal to his new political party.
“Losing a party ticket should never be a reason to disrupt the peace of the people we all claim to serve,” he said.
