An aspirant of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Bashir Abubakar, has rejected what he described as the unlawful substitution of his name as the party’s candidate for the Yola North/Yola South/Girei Federal Constituency in Adamawa State.
Mr Abubakar, who emerged winner of the party’s primary election, alleged that his candidacy was replaced with that of Abubakar Babazango, a serving member of the House of Representatives who recently defected to the ADC after failing to secure the All Progressives Congress (APC) ticket.
According to results announced by the returning officer, Abubakar polled 33,931 votes to defeat six other aspirants, while Babazango finished seventh with 4,359 votes.
Speaking in an interview, Abubakar described the alleged substitution as unacceptable and a violation of internal party democracy.
“I can confirm that my name has been replaced with that of someone who came a distant seventh in the primary. This is contrary to the principles the party claims to uphold,” he said.
He noted that aspirants had purchased nomination forms and campaigned across the 33 wards of the constituency in good faith, only to be confronted with reports that the outcome of the primary had been altered.
“If there was a preferred candidate, the party should not have subjected us to the process and expenses of participating in the primary election,” he added.
Abubakar disclosed that he had visited the party’s national secretariat and subsequently submitted a formal petition to the leadership, urging it to uphold the results of the primary election.
In the petition addressed to the party’s national chairman, he appealed for the preservation of the outcome of the May 21, 2026 primary, which he said was conducted by a duly constituted committee in the presence of party stakeholders and officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
He maintained that he was officially declared winner, issued result sheets, and had since been working towards unity within the party ahead of the general elections.
The aspirant, however, expressed concern over reports and a purported list circulating on social media indicating that Babazango had been listed as the party’s candidate, despite the official results showing otherwise.
He warned that any attempt to alter the outcome could expose the party to legal challenges and further internal disputes.
Abubakar therefore called on the ADC’s National Working Committee, National Executive Committee, and other relevant organs to respect the will of party members and uphold what he described as the authentic result of the primary election.
