Mai Mala Buni has said the All Progressives Congress in Yobe State is ready to conduct a fair, credible and transparent primary election ahead of the 2027 general election if stakeholders fail to reach a consensus on the choice of candidates.
The governor stated that the party has not ruled out direct primaries to determine candidates for governorship, national assembly and state assembly positions in the state.
The position was contained in a statement issued on Sunday by Mohammed Mamman.
According to the statement, the emergence of Baba Mallam Wali as the preferred governorship candidate followed resolutions reached at a critical stakeholders’ meeting held on April 23, 2026.
Buni explained that Wali was endorsed by party leaders as the preferred candidate under the consensus arrangement. However, he made it clear that if there is no broad agreement among party members and aspirants, the APC will move to an election-based process.
The governor recalled that a similar situation played out before the 2019 governorship election. He noted that he was initially nominated as a consensus candidate, but when some aspirants challenged the decision, the party conducted an election, which he won by a wide margin.
He said the party is prepared to repeat that process if consensus proves impossible.
Buni added that consultations are still ongoing among party stakeholders and aspirants in a bid to reach an amicable settlement that will preserve unity within the party.
He stressed that as governor, his greatest desire is to see both the state and the party remain peaceful, united and focused ahead of the 2027 elections.
According to him, all members remain citizens of Yobe and members of the APC, and the priority should be collective support for whoever eventually emerges as the party’s candidate.
Buni also said that his long history within the APC—as a founding member, former national secretary and former national chairman—makes the unity and progress of the party personally important to him.
He pledged continued support for the party’s ideals and expressed confidence that the APC would remain Nigeria’s ruling political party.
The governor said the ambition of aspirants seeking public office should be viewed as a desire to serve the people and improve the lives of residents.
He described Yobe as a strong example of political transparency, internal democracy and participatory politics, adding that the state would continue to uphold those principles in line with the philosophy of politics without bitterness.
Buni also said the party would ensure that every member has a sense of belonging while encouraging support for whoever emerges as the APC candidate in the governorship, presidential, national assembly and state assembly elections.
He called on party members across the state to strengthen unity and mobilise wider support for the APC, especially in backing Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s second-term bid in 2027.
Meanwhile, two prominent APC figures in the state—former Inspector General of Police Usman Alkali and Ibrahim Mohammed Bomai—have obtained nomination and expression of interest forms to contest for governor.
Both aspirants have indicated their readiness to challenge Baba Mallam Wali for the party’s ticket and are pushing for a direct primary election rather than endorsement by consensus.
The development signals that while the APC leadership in Yobe is working toward unity, the race for the party’s 2027 governorship ticket is already shaping up to be one of the most closely watched political contests in the state.
