Governor Mai Mala Buni of Yobe State has said the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state remains open to fair, credible and transparent primaries should efforts to produce consensus candidates ahead of the 2027 general elections fail.
Buni stated this while reacting to concerns trailing the adoption of former Secretary to the State Government, Baba Mallam Wali, as the preferred governorship candidate of the party.
According to the governor, the emergence of Wali followed resolutions reached at a critical stakeholders’ meeting held on April 23, 2026.
“The emergence of Baba Mallam Wali as the preferred candidate of the party followed the resolutions of the critical stakeholders’ meeting of April 23, 2026. 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 noted that the party had not ruled out direct primary elections to produce candidates for various elective positions in the state.
“This is not new. In 2019, I was nominated as a consensus candidate, a few other aspirants contested the decision, and we went for election where I emerged as the party’s candidate with a very wide margin. We are ready to repeat that history if we cannot reach consensus,” he added.
Buni explained that the party leadership was still engaging stakeholders and aspirants to ensure an amicable resolution of the matter.
“We are talking to each other and reaching out to the stakeholders including the aspirants to arrive at an amicable solution,” he said.
The governor stressed that unity within the party remained his top priority, saying peace and cohesion among APC members were necessary for the party’s success in the 2027 elections.
“As the governor of the state, I will be the happiest person to see the state and party peaceful and united. We remain citizens of Yobe State and members of APC. My expectation is to see us more united and collectively working for our candidates to win the 2027 general election,” he said.
Buni, a former National Chairman of the APC, said the unity and progress of the ruling party remained personally important to him.
“As a founding member, former secretary and national chairman of the APC, the unity and progress of the party means so much to me personally. I will continue to support and protect the ideals of the party to remain Nigeria’s ruling political party,” he stated.
He further expressed optimism that aspirants seeking public offices in the state were motivated by the desire to serve the people and improve their living conditions.
“Yobe State is proudly a leading example of political transparency, internal and participatory democracy. We shall continue to uphold these principles to promote the policy of politics without bitterness,” the governor said.
He assured party members that everyone would be carried along irrespective of who eventually emerged as candidates of the APC.
Buni also called on APC members across the state to remain united and mobilise support for the party ahead of the 2027 elections.
“I call on all APC members in the state to promote unity and generate more support for the party to remain Yobe and Nigeria’s ruling political party, to deliver the state to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s second term bid and all other candidates of the APC,” he said.
Six governorship aspirants on the APC platform rejected the adoption of Wali as the consensus candidate for the 2027 elections.
The aspirants said only a free, fair and transparent primary election would be acceptable to them.
The group, comprising Senator Ibrahim Mohammed Bomai, Bashir Sheriff Machina, Kashim Musa Tumsah, Engr. Mustapha Yunusa Maihaja, Lawan Kolo Geidam and former Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Alkali Baba, described the adoption of Wali as a violation of the Electoral Act and the constitution of the APC.
In a communiqué issued after a joint meeting held in Abuja, the aspirants insisted that the provisions of the Electoral Act relating to consensus candidature must be strictly followed in the emergence of the APC governorship flag bearer in Yobe State.
According to them, due process was not followed in the adoption of Baba Mallam Wali as consensus candidate.
The aggrieved aspirants met with Vice-President Kashim Shettima, on Saturday.