Ex-Ministers Fail To Secure APC Primary Ticket,three of the five ministers who resigned to contest in the APC primaries have lost out to their opponents.
Kano —
Three among five former serving Ministers who resigned from the Federal Executive Council in pursuit of elective offices ahead of the 2027 general have failed to secure tickets in the recently concluded APC governorship, State and National Assembly Primaries.
The Five former cabinet members who stepped down from their positions after the Presidency directed political appointees seeking elective offices to resign before participating in party primaries
The ex minsters were former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, who resigned to contest for the All Progressives Congress governorship ticket in Bauchi State; and former Minister of State for Humanitarian Affairs, Yusuf Sununu, who resigned to pursue Kebbi senatorial ticket.
Others are former Minister of Transportation, Saidu Alkali, who resigned to contest Gombe governorship ticket; former Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Nkeiruka Onyejeocha, pursuing House of Representatives ticket in Abia State; and former Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, who resigned to contest the Oyo governorship primaries.
Ex-Ministers Fail To Secure APC Primary Tickets
Of the five, only Onyejeocha and Sununu have secured their tickets.
Onyejeocha secured the APC ticket for Isuikwuato/Umunneochi Federal Constituency in Abia after emerging as an unopposed candidate.
Sununu also secured the APC ticket for Yauri/Shanga/Ngaski Federal Constituency after withdrawing from the Kebbi South senatorial race.
Adelabu,Alkali,and Tuggar lost out to the contestants.
Adelabu, who resigned after the deadline set by the President, had hoped to secure the APC governorship ticket in Oyo State ahead of the 2027 elections.
Ex-Ministers Fail To Secure APC Primary Tickets
However,the former minister was defeated in the contest by Senator Sarafadeen Alli who polled 578,143 votes to defeat Adelabu, who got 19,193 votes.
Following the outcome of the exercise, Adelabu alleged manipulation in the primary process, insisting that the election did not reflect the true wishes of party members.
He vowed to challenge the outcome of the election, adding that his team was preparing to petition the party leadership at the national level.
Addressing journalists during the exercise,in Ibadan on Friday the ex-minister said, “In some wards, our people were prevented from voting; they were intimidated, they were chased away violently. And in some wards, voting did not take place at all, but they recorded numbers for them”
Ex-Ministers Fail To Secure APC Primary Tickets
“All these kinds of misconduct are not good at this stage of our democracy in Nigeria and something has to be done about it. We are going to write serious petitions against all these things that took place” he added
Also, the former transport minister Alkali failed to secure the APC governorship ticket in Gombe State after boycotting the primary process over alleged irregularities.
Alkali lost to Jamilu Gwamna, who is backed by the incumbent, Governor Inuwa Yahaya.
Gwamna emerged winner of the primary after polling 247,161 votes to defeat Alkali, who polled 11, 612 votes and the former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Professor Isa Pantami, who scored 12,120 votes.
Alkali had earlier boycotted the primaries over alleged lack of fairness, inclusivity, and credibility.
Ex-Ministers Fail To Secure APC Primary Tickets
He also alleged that the exercise lacked the basic hallmarks of a credible democratic process.
Ex minister of foreign affairs Tuggar has also failed to secure the Bauchi State governorship ticket under the ruling APC.
His supporters have threatened to leave the ruling APC if the party imposed a governorship candidate.
The supporters made their position known on Friday after former Bauchi State governor, Muhammad Abubakar, emerged as the party’s consensus candidate.
Ex-Ministers Fail To Secure APC Primary Tickets
In a press briefing held after the exercise, the Director of Media, Tuggar Foundation, Ibrahim Malam, said members of the movement would not remain in a party where internal democracy was allegedly being undermined.
He further noted that the position being canvassed was that of members of the movement and not that of Tuggar himself.
“Regarding this narration of somebody becoming the APC flag bearer who is not competent, somebody who lost an election, we can’t remain in the party where democracy is not practised” he said
I’m saying this on behalf of my team, not on behalf of the former minister Yusuf Tuggar. But this is our collective mind with the people coordinating his social media. We cannot support a party where democracy is not being practised,” he added
Ex-Ministers Fail To Secure APC Primary Tickets
Also speaking, a pharmacist and social media influencer, Bello Adamu, popularly known as Elder Karofi, in a post on his social media handles rejected what he described as an attempt to impose a candidate on party members.
Adamu alleged that the reported consensus arrangement in favour of Abubakar amounted to injustice and warned that many supporters of Tuggar might refuse to support the APC if the decision stood.
“We reject this imposition and I don’t think any one of us is going to support anybody if that happens,” he stated
He further disclosed that consultations were ongoing among supporters on the next political step to take, including the possibility of defecting from the APC to another political party.
Adamu also criticised the former governor’s record in office, insisting that Tuggar remained a more competent option among the aspirants seeking the APC governorship ticket in the state.
Alkali Not Leaving APC
In an interview with Punch Newspaper,Umar Alkali, the media aide to ex-minister Alkali, clarified that his principal did not withdraw from the governorship race but merely boycotted the APC primary process.
“He (Alkali) is still in the race; he only boycotted the primaries. Given what happened during the previous House of Representatives and Senatorial primaries, after consultations, he deemed it fit to boycott the exercise” he said
Alkali explained that many people misunderstood the situation and went ahead to conclude that the former minister had withdrawn from the contest.
“He is not withdrawing from the governorship race. This is what most people misunderstood. He is still in the race; he only boycotted the process,” he added
Ex-Ministers Fail To Secure APC Primary Tickets
He also dismissed speculation that the former minister was planning to leave the ruling party, saying “No, he (Alkali) is not quitting the party. He is still in the APC.”
The aide further stated that Alkali remained loyal to the leadership of the APC and the Tinubu-led administration.
Adelabu Dismissed Outcome Of Oyo Primary Election
Ex- minister of Power,Adebayo Adelabu has also rejected the outcome of the APC governorship election held in Oyo on Friday.
Speaking with Punch Newspaper through his media aide, Femi Awogboro, the former minister said he was unaware of any officially declared result.
“I don’t know what you are talking about. We don’t know of any results because we have not seen any results. The result has not been announced by anybody,” Awogboro said
When asked whether Adelabu would challenge the outcome of the election or consider leaving the party, Awogboro said, “I won’t be able to say anything as regards that,” he added
Aggrieved contestants who lost to their opponents in the recently concluded APC primaries may seek other alternatives following a recent judgement by the Federal High Court Abuja preventing INEC from setting deadlines for political parties to conduct their primaries.
