Writing By Isma’il Adamu; Editing By Godwin Duru
Yusuf Muhammadu Buhari has emerged among the fifteen All Progressives Congress flag bearers in Katsina State in the just-concluded primary elections for the 2027 House of Representatives polls.
While the state chapter of the party adopted consensus for the selection of it candidates, direct primaries was adopted for constituencies where consensus could not be reached.
For Daura/Sandamu/Maiadua constituency where the party stakeholders could not arrive at a consensus, Yusuf Buhari and Auwal Lawal Daura entered a heated contest where Yusuf Buhari emerge winner with 15,570 votes to defeat Auwal for polled 480 votes.
In his reaction, however, Auwal Lawal described the process as flawed, accusing the organizing committee of a range of malpractices that include over-counting, repeated counting and lack of proper screening of membership cards of voters.
He urged the national APC leadership to revisit the process in order to restore the confidence of party members in the party ahead of next year’s general elections.
Meanwhile, in his acceptance speech Yusuf Buhari dismissed the allegations while pledging to work with party stakeholders and members to forge greater unity and mobilize support for the party.
In a related development, Jamila Abdu Mani, the only female among the fifteen aspirants, was declared winner of the primary election for Bindawa/Mani Federal Constituency after polling 24,989 votes to defeat Ahmed Saleh who scored 1,256 votes.
Meanwhile in Kankara/Faskari/Sabuwa Federal Constituency, Hamza Sule Faskari was adopted as the consensus candidate to bear the party’s flag in the 2027 general elections.
At the affirmation rally held at Kankara, the Chairman of the consensus committee, Alhaji Tasiu Sabuwa, explained that the consensus was a unanimous decision by stakeholders from the 31 wards across the three local government areas of the constituency who presented the views of party members in their wards.
Sabuwa said among factors considered in the consensus decision was the candidate’s popularity, level of acceptance among the electorate, commitment to the party and track record in politics and public service.
He noted that Hamza Sule has met these criteria and, if elected, will competently represent the people of the constituency and boost the party’s popularity and level of support among the electorate.
Similarly, APC stakeholders in Charanchi/Rimi/Batagarawa Constituency affirmed Usman Banye as the consensus candidate while Salisu Majigiri was affirmed for Mashi/Dutsi constituency.
However, as a fall-out of the APC House of Representative primaries, two federal lawmakers have defected from APC to opposition parties where they secured tickets to run for another term at the Green Chamber.
Shehu Tafoki, representing Kankara/Faskari/Sabuwa Federal Constituency dumped the APC for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) while Sani Lawal, representing Baure/Zango Federal Constituency, quit the APC to join a yet-to-be-named party.
Isma’il Adamu
