2027: Candidate Substitution Opens Fresh Wound Inside Bauchi APC

Candidate Substitution don become fresh political gbege inside the All Progressives Congress (APC) for Bauchi State, as some State House of Assembly aspirants wey say dem win party primary don raise alarm say their names later disappear from the candidate list. And as the matter dey gather heat, the big question be whether APC reconciliation effort for the state fit still bring everybody back to one political roof before 2027 election.

Candidates Say Their Victory Don Turn Another Story

The fresh candidate substitution controversy centre around some APC State House of Assembly candidates who alleged that after dem win their respective primary elections and complete the required documentation, their names were allegedly replaced with names of other people.

One of the affected politicians, Abdulhamid Rufai, who claimed victory for Zungur/Galambi/Miri constituency, alleged that his name was later replaced. Similar complaints reportedly came from Zulkifilu Dahiru Kafi of Ganjuwa West and Ibrahim A. Adamu of Ganjuwa East. According to the accounts, the affected candidates had already gone through documentation before discovering say their names no longer dey where dem expect am. The Bauchi APC chairman, Muhammad Hassan Tilde, reportedly said the party would investigate the allegation.

For political comedy, this one fit sound like somebody winning a football match only to reach dressing room and discover say another person collect the trophy. But the matter serious because candidate substitution touches the trust wey party members put inside their internal electoral process. If a person claims say voters or delegates choose am during primary, and another name later appears on the official list, party leadership need explain clearly how the change happen and under which rule.

Dogara Reconciliation Panel Faces Bigger Test

The latest Bauchi APC crisis dey come barely two months after former House of Representatives Speaker, Yakubu Dogara, was appointed to lead a reconciliation committee designed to settle grievances among aspirants, stakeholders and party members after the 2027 primaries. The committee was expected to help reduce tension and create a united front ahead of the general election.

But instead of the political temperature cooling completely, fresh complaints and resignations don continue to put pressure on the reconciliation process. Reports say former Bauchi deputy governor Sagir Aminu Saleh, former two-time APC governorship aspirant Captain Muhammad Bala Jibrin and Sunusi Aliyu Kunde are among prominent figures who recently left the party. There are also unresolved disagreements around the governorship primary, with supporters of Yusuf Maitama Tuggar calling for a review of the process that produced former governor Muhammad Abdullahi Abubakar as the APC candidate.

The wider picture therefore be say the Bauchi APC crisis no be only about three Assembly candidates. The party dey face the difficult job of convincing different political camps that grievances can be settled fairly without anybody feeling sidelined. The party has said disagreements are normal in politics and that it can manage its internal challenges, but political observers have warned that unresolved disputes and defections could weaken the party’s ability to mobilise a united campaign in 2027.

As 2027 dey approach, the real test for APC no go simply be how many people join the party, but whether those already inside can trust the process enough to stay together. If the allegations of candidate substitution are properly investigated and genuine grievances receive credible answers, reconciliation fit still become possible. But if the matter continues to pile up, Bauchi APC may discover that political mathematics no always favour the party when aggrieved members begin carrying their structures elsewhere. OGM News Pidgin go dey watch the Bauchi APC crisis as the next moves unfold.