By Ahmed Abba
Six governorship aspirants of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Yobe have described alleged endorsement of a consensus candidate for the position as unlawful, divisive and inconsistent with democratic principles guiding the party’s internal electoral process.
The governorship aspirants said this in a communiqué they issued after a strategic meeting in Abuja on Friday.
The document, later made available to journalists in Damaturu, carried the signatures of Usman Baba and Mustapha Maihaja.
Others were Ibrahim Bomai, Lawan Geidam, Kashim Tumsah and Bashir Machina.
Gov. Mai Mala Buni and some stakeholders in Yobe APC had recently endorsed Allhaji Baba Wali, the former Secretary to the State Government (SSG), as their preferred governorship candidate for the 2027 election.
Alhaji Mamman Mohammed, Gov Mai Mala Buni’s Director-General Press and Media Affairs in a statement said the endorsement was made known at the stakeholders’ meeting, led by Buni and Sen. Ibrahim Geidam, the Minister of Police Affairs, in Abuja
“The forum noted that the former SSG had been an active player in the various administrations in the state for many years, which qualifies him for continuity of the mission and vision of the state development plan,” the aide said.
But the six APC governorship aspirants said the reported endorsement violated relevant provisions of the Electoral Act 2026.
They also maintained that the action contradicted the constitution of the APC.
The aspirants also raised concerns about the conduct of the Yobe APC chairman, accusing him of displaying apparent partisanship in the ongoing political consultations.
“The chairman appears compromised in the management of this process,” they alleged.
They argued that his continued involvement could undermine confidence among party stakeholders.
The aspirants demanded his immediate withdrawal from all primary election responsibilities.
They said an impartial official should supervise the governorship nomination exercise.
“The purported endorsement did not follow due process required by law,” the communiqué stated.
They insisted that consensus arrangements must strictly follow laid-down legal and constitutional procedures.
According to them, any consensus process must be transparent, inclusive and acceptable to all aspirants.
They said such procedures would strengthen confidence in the party’s internal democratic structures.
“Any candidate produced outside due process may face legitimacy concerns,” they warned. The aspirants said party unity should never come at the expense of justice.
They maintained that all aspirants deserved equal opportunities in the governorship race.
According to them, dialogue remains possible where sincerity and fairness exist.
However, they said direct primaries should be adopted if consensus efforts collapse.
“A direct primary remains the fairest democratic option,” the communiqué added.
They urged the party to ensure the process remained open and credible.
In spite of the disagreement, they reaffirmed loyalty to the APC national leadership.
They expressed confidence in the leadership’s commitment to fairness and justice.
The aspirants also pledged support for President Bola Tinubu’s administration, declaring support for his re-election bid in 2027.
“Our loyalty to the party and President Tinubu remains unwavering,” they stated. (NAN)
