Buni says APC ready for direct primaries if consensus fails in Yobe

Mai Mala Buni has said the All Progressives Congress is prepared to conduct direct primary elections if efforts to produce consensus candidates for the 2027 elections fail.

In a statement issued on Sunday by his Director-General of Press and Media Affairs, Alhaji Mamman Mohammed, the Yobe governor said the party remained committed to a transparent and democratic process in selecting its candidates.

The development follows opposition from six APC governorship aspirants in Yobe State to the endorsement of Alhaji Baba Wali by influential party stakeholders.

The aspirants challenging the consensus arrangement are Senator Ibrahim Bomoi, Alhaji Bashir Machina, Mr Kashim Musa-Tumsah, Mr Mustapha Maihaja, Alhaji Lawan Kolo, and former Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Baba.

Buni said the emergence of Baba Wali as the preferred candidate followed resolutions reached at a stakeholders’ meeting held on 23 April 2026, but stressed that the party could still revert to direct primaries if consensus proves impossible.

“He was endorsed and adopted as the preferred candidate, but if there is no general agreement, we shall adopt the election mode,” he said.

The governor recalled that he had faced a similar situation ahead of the 2019 elections, when objections to his consensus nomination led to a primary contest which he won decisively.

“We are ready to repeat that history if we cannot reach consensus,” he added.

Buni said the party leadership was continuing consultations with aggrieved aspirants and stakeholders in an effort to preserve unity within the APC in Yobe State.

“I will be the happiest person to see the state and party peaceful and united,” he said, adding that internal cohesion remained essential to the party’s chances in the 2027 general elections.

The governor, a former National Chairman of the APC, described the party’s unity and stability as a personal priority, saying Yobe had established a reputation for political transparency and participatory democracy.

He also urged party members to support President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s anticipated re-election bid and work collectively to secure victory for APC candidates across all elective positions in the state.

According to Buni, all aspirants seeking public office in Yobe were motivated by a desire to improve the lives of citizens, and the party would continue to provide equal opportunities and a sense of belonging to all members.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).