The political temperature in Yobe State has climbed a notch as six governorship hopefuls of the All Progressives Congress pushed back against what they described as an attempted imposition of a consensus candidate ahead of the party’s primary election.
Like a storm gathering on the horizon, the disagreement burst into the open after the aspirants accused some party actors of sidestepping laid-down democratic procedures.
Their position was contained in a communiqué issued after a closed-door strategic meeting held in Abuja on Friday.
The document, which later surfaced in Damaturu, bore the signatures of Usman Baba, Mustapha Maihaja, Ibrahim Bomai, Lawan Geidam, Kashim Tumsah and Bashir Machina.
The aspirants argued that the alleged endorsement of a preferred candidate ran foul of provisions of the Electoral Act 2026 and also clashed with the constitution of the APC.
“The purported endorsement did not follow due process required by law,” the communiqué stated.
They maintained that any consensus arrangement must not be cooked behind closed doors but should instead pass through transparent, inclusive and constitutionally recognised procedures acceptable to all contenders.
According to them, anything short of that could leave cracks in the foundation of the party’s internal democratic process.
“Any candidate produced outside due process may face legitimacy concerns,” they warned.
The aspirants stressed that party unity should not become a cloak for injustice, insisting that every contestant deserves a level playing field in the governorship race.
While leaving the door open for dialogue, they said sincerity and fairness must guide any further consultations.
However, they declared that if consensus talks hit the rocks, direct primaries should be adopted as the most credible path forward.
“A direct primary remains the fairest democratic option,” the communiqué added.
The group also turned its fire on the chairman of the Yobe APC, accusing him of showing signs of bias during ongoing consultations linked to the governorship contest.
“The chairman appears compromised in the management of this process,” they alleged.
According to the aspirants, allowing him to continue overseeing the exercise could cast a long shadow over the credibility of the primary process.
They consequently demanded his immediate withdrawal from all activities relating to the conduct of the governorship primaries and called for the appointment of a neutral official to supervise the exercise.
Despite the brewing tension, the aspirants reaffirmed their loyalty to the APC national leadership, expressing confidence in its ability to uphold justice and fairness.
They also pledged continued support for the administration of Bola Ahmed Tinubu and backed his expected 2027 re-election bid.
“Our loyalty to the party and President Tinubu remains unwavering,” they stated.
