APC leaders warn Tinubu could face electoral risk in Adamawa over candidate imposition

Members of the APC Elders Forum in Adamawa Central senatorial zone have warned that President Bola Tinubu could face difficulties winning Adamawa State in the 2027 election if concerns over the alleged imposition of candidates are not addressed.

Speaking at a press conference in Yola on Thursday, the group’s spokesperson, Mohammed Jimeta, said the ruling party risks repeating mistakes that contributed to the PDP’s defeat in 2015.

Referring to the 2015 governorship election in Adamawa, Jimeta said, “In 2015, President Goodluck Jonathan and other PDP chieftains sat in Abuja and appointed the present National Security Adviser, Malam Nuhu Ribadu, as the governorship candidate, but the people of Adamawa State voted for the person they wanted as governor.”

He questioned the emergence of Mustapha Salihu as the party’s senatorial candidate, arguing that Salihu contested for governorship rather than the Senate during the primaries.

“The President himself knows that Mustapha Salihu did not contest for the Senate; he contested for governor. It was Abdulraheem Abbati who contested for the Senate in the Central senatorial zone. So, how can Salihu become the senatorial candidate in the zone?” Jimeta asked.

The elders insisted that, for fairness and justice, the ticket should be given to Abdulraheem Abbati, who they said legitimately contested for the seat.

Jimeta also argued that several local government areas in the zone have produced senators over the years, while Yola North has yet to be given the opportunity.

“Salihu and Senator Abbas are from the same local government area, so why is the APC showing bias against the people of Yola North? A few individuals are trying to deny Abbati the ticket,” he said.

The group further called on National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu to help prevent what they described as an injustice, warning that failure to resolve the issue could hurt both the APC governorship candidate and President Tinubu in future elections.

“There will be two losers—the Adamawa State APC governorship candidate and the President. To avert the looming political setback, the issue should be addressed now,” Jimeta stated.

He added that Abbati worked for Tinubu’s success in the state during the last election, saying, “Abbati was the returning officer for President Tinubu in Shelleng Local Government Area, even when some enemies of the APC in Adamawa State were working secretly against him.”