Yobe APC guber candidate calls for unity, urges Tumsa and others to withdraw

By: Yahaya Wakili

The All Progressives Congress (APC) gubernatorial candidate for Yobe state, Alhaji Baba Mallam Wali Fcan, mni, has called on the three remaining aspirants, Barr. Kashim Musa Tumsah, Engr. Mai Hajja, and Hon. Bashir Shariff Machina, to withdraw and come to unite and work as one family to move Yobe state forward.

Baba Mallam Wali made the call yesterday in Nguru town while thousands of APC supporters turned out en masse to welcome him since he became the gubernatorial candidate of the party. He said, “I am a native of Nguru, and since the restoration of democracy in 1999, this zone has never gotten such an opportunity, not even the deputy governor.”

He maintained that, before there were G-6, three had already withdrawn, and the first aspirant to step down was the former Senate President, Senator Ahmed Ibrahim Lawan GCON; secondly, Lawan Kolo; thirdly, the former inspector general of police, Usman Baba Alkali; and today, we thank God, Senator Ibrahim Mohammed Bomai stepped down, respectively.

Therefore, the 3 remaining aspirants, Kashim Tumsah, Engr. Mai Hajja, and Bashir Shariff Machina, I call on them; let them step down, come, and unite ourselves to work together to move Yobe State forward, adding that Yobe remains one indivisible political family under the APC.

The gubernatorial candidate hailed Senator Musa Mustapha, Senator Ahmed Ibrahim Lawan GCON, Senator Ibrahim Mohammed Bomai, Lawan Kolo, and former IGP Usman Baba Alkali for their maturity, patriotism, and commitment to party unity following their withdrawal from the 2027 governorship race.

“His Excellency, Governor Mai Mala Buni CON, COMN, is a strong politician; his political career has been marked by vast experience, national influence, and remarkable achievements. He is a national chairman and national secretary of our great party, APC, and up to now, he is a great and strong politician. I worked with him as the secretary to the government for 7 years; therefore, I learned so many things from him.

According to Wali, His Excellency Senator Ibrahim Geidam, FCAE, Minister of Police Affairs and the leader of Yobe State politics, exhibited a rare blend of leadership and pragmatic governance and is a masterclass in dedicated politics and public service. Therefore, I worked with these leaders, and I learned so many things from them.

Yobe APC guber candidate calls for unity, urges Tumsa and others to withdraw

Consensus Imposition of Mining Magnate Seriki As Governorship Candidate By The Governor Threatens Gradual Implosion in Kwara APC

By: Bodunrin Kayode

The culture of consensus which has enveloped the All Progressive Congress (APC) party in kwara is threatening the very unity among party stalwarts even as some aspirants have vowed to oppose any imposition of candidates by Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq.

Trouble actually started when Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, initiated underground moves to anoint the controversial mining magnate, Abdulfatah Seriki-Gambari, popularly known as “Yahaya Seriki”, as his preferred candidate to replace him ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Political watchers in the state have hinted that the move is already generating anger and tension with influential stakeholders and other aspirants engrossed in fierce internal battles over the control of the party and what they described as the faulty succession moves by the governor despite having an array of more experienced aspirants equally eager to throw in their hats into the ring for the coveted office.

However, this latest development comes despite previous controversies surrounding Seriki’s mining activities in Kwara State, including calls by members of the Kwara State House of Assembly last year seeking the revocation of some of his mining licences over alleged irregularities and concerns raised by local communities.

Multiple high-ranking APC sources hinted that the Governor had already concluded arrangements to impose Seriki as the party’s consensus governorship candidate following a series of strategic meetings held in Abuja last weekend.

A notice for an emergency meeting circulated to Governorship aspirants last week signed by the Kwara APC Publicity Secretary, Abdulwaheed Babatunde, fixed the meeting for 12 noon last Thursday at the Kwara State Banquet Hall in Ilorin.

With this development, sources close to the government house say that some of the aspirants expected to step down include: Yakubu Danladi; Engr. Olufemi Sanni; Maliaha Ahman-Pategi; Muhammed Belgore and Ahmad Mahmud.

Another source hinted though sadly that many of the aspirants now expected to withdraw from the race were originally encouraged by Governor Abdulrazaq himself to join the contest to create a level of legitimacy for Seriki’s emergence.

It is believed that some stalwarts in the party had earlier accused some forces of narrowing the search for the APC governorship ticket to aspirants from Kwara Central Senatorial District to please certain people who believe it’s there right to stay in power for over 20 years without making way for the other senatorial zones.

They also believe that a large chunk of northern and southern kwara have been taken over by banditry and chaos as such they may not be able to contest against what they described as the central district’s perceived electoral advantage over the rest of the state.

Over 20 traditional rulers and subjects have moved out of their domains to safe havens in the south and Northern zones of kwara making their political strength weakened to a dangerous level of submission to the will of the Governor.

Consensus Imposition of Mining Magnate Seriki As Governorship Candidate By The Governor Threatens Gradual Implosion in Kwara APC

Zulum Lauds Peaceful Conduct of APC House of Reps Primaries in Borno

By: Michael Mike

Governor of Borno State, Babagana Umara Zulum, has commended the peaceful and orderly conduct of the All Progressives Congress primary election for the House of Representatives across the state.

Zulum gave the commendation on Saturday shortly after supervising the APC primary election for the Gubio, Kaga and Magumeri Federal Constituency held in Magumeri town.

Hundreds of party supporters from the three local government areas gathered at the venue to welcome the governor and APC officials overseeing the exercise.

Speaking with journalists after the primary, Zulum said the process was conducted in line with the Electoral Act 2026 and the constitution of the APC, which allows aspirants to adopt consensus arrangements.

“We are here to witness the primary election in line with the Electoral Act 2026 and the APC constitution, which allows for consensus arrangements among aspirants,” the governor stated.

He explained that although three aspirants initially indicated interest in contesting for the party’s House of Representatives ticket, two later withdrew in support of the incumbent lawmaker, Hon. Usman Zannah.

“We have three contestants vying for the position of the House of Representatives, but fortunately, under the consensus arrangement as enshrined in the constitution of our party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), two of the aspirants stepped down for the incumbent member, Hon. Usman Zannah,” he said.

According to the governor, party members and stakeholders from the constituency affirmed their support for the consensus candidate during the exercise.

Zulum congratulated Hon. Zannah on his emergence and praised the aspirants who stepped down — Hon. Shettima Shehu and Alhaji Mohammed Sanda Ngamdu — describing their action as a demonstration of unity, sacrifice and political maturity.

“I want to extend my congratulations to the candidate and the others who stepped down for him,” he said. “I also want to express my appreciation to all APC supporters and the people of Borno State for ensuring a peaceful voting process.”

The governor stressed that the consensus arrangement adopted by the party was voluntary and not designed to deny any aspirant the opportunity to contest.

“Under the consensus arrangement, the government of Borno State and the party have never taken a decision to stop anybody from contesting,” he explained. “Consensus is a voluntary option, and anybody who does not wish to go for a consensus election has the right to participate in a direct primary.”

Chairman of the APC Primary Elections Committee for Gubio, Kaga and Magumeri Federal Constituency, Hon. Yuguda Saleh Vungas, also confirmed that party stakeholders agreed on consensus as the mode of primary election.

He commended Governor Zulum for creating an enabling environment for the smooth and peaceful conduct of the exercise.

Through a voice vote, APC members from the three local government areas unanimously affirmed Hon. Usman Zannah as the party’s consensus candidate for the House of Representatives seat.

Officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission and APC national headquarters monitored the exercise.

Governor Zulum was accompanied by the APC consensus gubernatorial candidate, Engr. Mustapha Gubio, Secretary to the State Government Bukar Tijani, and Acting Chief of Staff, Dr. Babagana Mustapha Mallumbe.

Zulum Lauds Peaceful Conduct of APC House of Reps Primaries in Borno