Six governorship aspirants on the platform of the All Progressives Congress in Yobe State have rejected the adoption of former Secretary to the State Government, Alhaji Baba Mallam Wali, as the party’s consensus governorship candidate for the 2027 election.
The aspirants said they would only accept a free, fair and transparent primary election. The group includes Senator Ibrahim Mohammed Bomai, Bashir Sheriff Machina, Kashim Musa Tumsah, Engr. Mustapha Yunusa Maihaja, Lawan Kolo Geidam and former Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Alkali Baba.
In a communiqué issued after a joint meeting held in Abuja, the aspirants described the adoption of Baba Mallam Wali as a violation of the Electoral Act and the constitution of the APC. They said the proper process was not followed in choosing him as the party’s consensus candidate.
According to the group, if the party wants to adopt consensus, it must strictly follow the provisions of the law and the APC constitution. They maintained that all aspirants must be properly involved in the process before any consensus arrangement can be accepted.
The aspirants also passed a vote of no confidence on the Yobe State Chairman of the APC, Alhaji Mohammed Gadaka, accusing him of bias and compromise in the ongoing political process. They demanded that he should not be involved in the conduct and supervision of the party’s governorship primary election in the state.
Despite their disagreement over the consensus arrangement, the group reaffirmed its confidence in the national leadership of the APC and pledged support for the re-election of Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Efforts to get the reaction of the Yobe APC chairman, Mohammed Gadaka, were unsuccessful as he did not answer calls or reply to text messages.