Rebuking a decision by the United Conservative Party to disqualify candidate Zulkifl Mujahid, the board of directors of the UCP constituency association in Fort McMurray-Wood Buffalo has voted to continue supporting him as their candidate. The motion was passed at a meeting on April 18.
Here’s the motion:
“Zulkifl Mujhid is the UCP Fort McMurray-Wood Buffalo Constituency preferred candidate. He is democratically elected.”
Mujhid became the UCP candidate after winning a hotly contested UCP nomination vote against MLA Tany Yao and construction association president Keith Plowman.
The nomination vote followed another contentious annual general meeting that saw a slate of new candidates elected to the local constituency board of directors.
The UCP announced last week that it had disqualified Mujahid after court records revealed he is being sued for defamation by Sultan Zamman, the vice-president of fundraising for the riding’s constituency association. Zamman is seeking $250,000 in damages and a further $50,000 in special damages.
The UCP is expected to appoint a candidate to replace Mujahid before the election is officially called on May 1. But the board’s motion and the former UCP candidate’s continued posting on social media as if he is still a candidate could create some difficulty for whoever the is appointed candidate by the party.
There has been some speculation that the UCP could appoint Yao as the candidate. He is a long-time friend of the MLA from the neighbouring Fort McMurray-Lac La Biche riding, Brian Jean, and endorsed him in the 2022 UCP leadership race.
Yao appears to have spent most of the past week canvassing door-to-door with UCP MLAs running for re-election in Calgary ridings.
The election in this otherwise safe UCP riding in northern Alberta could also be made even more interesting by the entry of Wood Buffalo Municipal Councillor Funky Banjoko, who is running as an Independent candidate in the riding. Banjoko earned more votes than any other candidate running for municipal council in 2021.
Suncor laboratory technician and Unifor organizer Tanika Chaisson is expected to be nominated as the Alberta NDP candidate.
There are 37 days left until Alberta’s May 29 provincial election.
UPDATE: The UCP has appointed Tany Yao as the party’s candidate in Fort McMurray-Wood Buffalo. With his appointment, the UCP once again have 87 candidates nominated to run in the next election (see the full list of candidates).
Subscribe to the Daveberta Substack
If you haven’t already, please subscribe to the Daveberta Substack. I am planning to share most of my writing for the upcoming Alberta election on Substack.
Most of my writing during the election will be accessible to all subscribers but to get full access to election extras and future episodes of the Daveberta Podcast, please consider signing up for a paid subscription. Thanks!
10 replies on “Fort McMurray-Wood Buffalo UCP board votes to support disqualified candidate Zulkifl Mujahid”
We want elected candidate not selected
Dirty and ugly side of politics. If you can’t defeat someone in fair game then use hook or crook techniques 🙁
Tany Yao is an established MLA of distinction & class, this hostile & corrupt candidate who took over & who has already been disqualified should stand aside for Tany. At least with Tany Yao as the candidate you wouldn’t need any training wheels or minders.
Nothing else but racism
Dirty politics and dirty friendships
UCP members want the Elected Candidate not any “para shooter” “Selected” and “imposed” who didn’t accept the defeat From Grass root worker in the nomination election. Later use his own puppets to sue Zulkifl and disqualified him. I hope people will take revenge on May 29th and defeat This Fascist Party
Tanika Chassion is very talented and is very well aware of all the ins and out of this Community. She has perseverance and dedication to serve this Community. We should all give a chance to Tanika and test new blood rather then old already tested candidates.
FORT MCMURRAY WOOD BUFFALO CA want Elected not Selected.
Voters will take their revenge on May 29th when they will re elect the elected and kick the selected.
Dynamics of the game has changed UCP will lose in YMM if they kept the Selected.
UCP is already loosing in Alberta and they are add insult to injury by removing the Voice of People elected Candidate Zulkfil Mujjahid.
UCP will only worsen their position in Alberta, in Muslim community, Hindu community and overall immigrants in Alberta and Canada.
What kind of message you are getting across By removing Elected Candidate that Immigrants are not allowed ?
Danielle Smith did not even seek advice from Elected Fort McMurray Woodbuffalo CA Board to pick next Candidate. She already used her power of 4 appointments and if she could she could seek CA board to pick next Candidate. Unfortunately Danielle’s UCP directors did not allowed it to happen and they selected Tany Yao.
How plot was setup against elected Zulkifl Mujjahid Elected Candidate?
Athar Mahmood is the campaign manager for Tany Yao and is same guy who press charges against elected candidate 2nd guy Sultan who press defamation charges against Elected candidate and is x vp fundraising Tany Yao.
Witnesses Kamal preet and Manpreet both brothers are employees of Sultan.
If you look everything in broader spectrum you will see this whole disqualification drama is a plot to get Elected Candidate out of Elections.
UCP learned a hard, but good, lesson in 2019 on what can go wrong if they don’t immediately deal with unacceptable comments or other issues that surprise them. Media and NDs had a great time with “Lake of Fire” comment from Drayton Valley – Devon candidate Bill Smith.
NDs exercise the same control. Ask them about the two MLAs who were accused of inappropriate behavior. They still likely haven’t named them and, probably, at least one isn’t running in this election.
As they say, politics can be a nasty old blood sport. If Mr. Mujahid likes his chances of being elected not selected perhaps he can stand and be elected as an independent.
NDP is the winner this time all over Alberta