Elders within the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Adamawa Central have raised concerns over an alleged scheme to force a preferred candidate on the party. This comes after the senatorial primary, originally scheduled for Monday, failed to hold as planned.
The group, operating under the banner of Central Senatorial Zone APC Elders, has petitioned President Bola Tinubu. They warn that certain party figures in the state are deliberately delaying the process to pave the way for a handpicked aspirant.
Prior to the primary date, the state APC chapter issued a statement calling off the exercise, citing logistical issues. The notice, released by Publicity Secretary Victor Dogo, has been met with skepticism by many party members.
The elders allege that Governor Ahmadu Fintiri, the leader of the party in the state, is behind the plan to impose a candidate. Their main suspicion is that the beneficiary is the current Senator Aminu Iya Abbas.
Iya Abbas had previously been known to be eyeing the governorship position rather than another term in the Senate. Speaking at a press conference in Yola on Tuesday, Alhaji Mohammed Song, the group’s spokesperson, questioned the sudden shift. He noted that Iya Abbas had campaigned across all local government areas for the governorship, only to later be presented as a senatorial aspirant after the screening.
Song highlighted that Yola North Local Government Area, the heart of the capital, has never had a senator in the current democratic era. The elders had thrown their support behind Alhaji Aliyu Abbati, a candidate from that LGA. According to Song, Abbati is the only aspirant who has engaged with all seven local governments in the zone, while others have not shown up. He appealed to President Tinubu to intervene, warning that such underhand tactics could damage the party’s prospects and the President’s chances in the upcoming general elections.
In response, Governor Fintiri has denied the allegations, asserting that the primary process has been generally fair. He attributed any minor issues to human error, which he says is normal in such exercises.