By Ankeli Emmanuel, Sokoto
Six governorship aspirants of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Yobe State have unanimously rejected the reported adoption of former Secretary to the State Government, Baba Mallam Wali, as the party’s consensus candidate, insisting that only a free and fair primary election will be acceptable.
In a communiqué issued after a joint meeting in Abuja, the aspirants – who refer to themselves as the G-6 – said the relevant provisions of the Electoral Act governing consensus arrangements must be strictly adhered to. They argued that the proper rules were not followed in selecting Wali, and that any consensus candidate must emerge in full conformity with the law.
The G-6 comprises: Ibrahim Mohammed Bomai (Senator representing Yobe South), Bashir Sheriff Machina (former Chairman of the Nigerian Shippers’ Council Governing Board), Kashim Musa Tumsah (former NNPCL board member), Engr. Mustapha Yunusa Maihaja (former NEMA Director-General), Lawan Kolo Geidam (former Mandate Secretary for Youth and Sports, FCT), and IGP Mohammed Alkali Baba (former Inspector-General of Police).
The group also passed a vote of no confidence in the Yobe State APC Chairman, Alhaji Mohammed Gadaka, whom they accused of bias and compromise. They described the adoption of Wali as a violation of both the Electoral Act and the APC constitution, and demanded Gadaka’s immediate withdrawal from all matters relating to the conduct and supervision of the state’s primary elections.
While reaffirming their confidence in the national leadership of the APC, the aspirants restated their support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s re-election.
Efforts to reach the state APC chairman, Alhaji Mohammed Gadaka, for comment were unsuccessful, as he did not answer calls nor respond to text messages sent to his known telephone numbers.
