Five aspirants of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Taraba State declared the party’s scheduled primary election illegal on Thursday. The aspirants—Yusuf Abubakar‑Yusuf, Anthony Manzo, Saleh Mamam, David Kente and Danladi Kifasi—accused APC National Chairman Abdullahi Adamu of forming an “unholy alliance” with the state’s sacked governorship candidate, Emmanuel Bwacha. They cited a recent Supreme Court judgment that nullified Bwacha’s nomination.
The Supreme Court, in a five‑member panel led by Justice Kudirat Kekere‑Ekun, upheld the Federal High Court in Jalingo’s finding that the APC did not conduct a valid governorship primary in Taraba. The case originated from a suit filed by David Kente, one of the aspirants who had contested the APC ticket against Bwacha. In a press conference in Abuja, the five aspirants vowed not to support the APC National Working Committee’s “illegality and flagrant disregard for the rule of law.” Senator Yusuf Abubakar‑Yusuf, speaking for the group, said the briefing was necessary to expose the National Chairman’s actions, which they claim are destroying the party in the state and defying the Supreme Court’s authority.
The contest for the APC gubernatorial ticket began in 2022 with seven aspirants who obtained the party’s expression of interest and nomination forms. On the day of the primaries, a meeting at Shield Hotel in Jalingo was interrupted for security reasons, and the committee chairman, Lawrence Onochukwu, was taken to the police headquarters. After seeing social‑media posts of a purported “direct primary” in some parts of the state, Onochukwu held a news conference stating he had not authorized any primary and that the election would be postponed pending resolution of the issues. The next morning, all aspirants except Senator Emmanuel Bwacha saw videos and media reports announcing Bwacha as the winner of a primary that, according to the aspirants, never took place.
The aspirants argued that the party failed to correct the irregularities, prompting legal action that ultimately reached the apex court. The Supreme Court confirmed there was no valid primary. Before the case reached the Supreme Court, one of the six aggrieved aspirants left the APC for the NNPP, citing lack of transparency and impunity. The remaining five chose to stay and fight for their rights and for democracy.
The aspirants condemned the party’s actions following the Supreme Court judgment on 1 February, which voided the alleged APC primary that produced Bwacha. They noted that the National Working Committee, under Senator Adamu, did not convene any meeting—physical or virtual—with the aspirants. Instead, on 9 February 2023, they received a text message and saw social‑media reports that a primary was scheduled for 10 February at Mumuye Hall, Mile 6, Jalingo. They described this as “total and flagrant disobedience” of the Supreme Court’s decision in David Sabo Kente vs Senator Emmanuel Bwacha. The apex court had not ordered a new primary; it granted all reliefs sought by Kente except for a rescheduled primary within 14 days.
The aggrieved aspirants affirmed they are law‑abiding Nigerians and loyal party members who will not partake in any illegality. They warned that the planned primary at Mumuye Hall violates the Supreme Court’s unanimous judgment. They questioned whether the National Chairman, Senator Adamu, Bwacha, and their allies are attempting to override the court’s authority. Reports suggest a retired general and other retired military personnel will head the committee conducting the illegal primary, with the Taraba military command also involved—an indication, they say, that the exercise is turning into a “war” rather than an election.
Finally, the aspirants cautioned the APC National Working Committee to heed the pending judgment in the case of Senator Yusuf A. Yusuf vs Senator Emmanuel Bwacha, slated for delivery on 13 February. They warned that repeated defiance of court orders and internal democratic failures will have serious consequences. They urged party members and Nigerians to recognize the alleged pact between the National Chairman and Senator Bwacha, and they pledged to challenge any illegal actions at Mumuye Hall in competent courts.
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