In a statement shared on his official Facebook page, the lawmaker criticised those who use ethnic backgrounds to define political participation, describing such individuals as having retrogressive mindsets.
The Yobe South senator and governorship aspirant, Ibrahim Bomai, has rejected the adoption of a consensus governorship candidate by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state, decrying what he called ethnicity in politics.
Mr Bomai had earlier rejected the party”s adoption of Baba Wali as its consensus candidate for the state’s 2027 governorship election.
Describing the adoption as “unfair to the people of Yobe State,” the lawmaker vowed to remain in the contest, promising a focus on inclusive development.
PREMIUM TIMES reported that the APC Critical Stakeholders Forum announced Mr Wali, the former secretary to the state government (SSG), as its consensus candidate.
The forum, which included Governor Mai Mala Buni and the Minister of Police Affairs, Ibrahim Gaidam, endorsed Mr Wali at a meeting in Abuja.
Following the adoption, several other aspirants, including the former Inspector General of Police, Usman Alkali, challenged the decision.
Mr Bomai said he refused to reduce his beliefs, values, and vision for society to what language one speaks.
“I need to say this clearly and from the heart, my politics has nothing to do with ethnicity or tribal lines. I refuse to reduce my beliefs, my values, and my vision for society to what language I speak.
“To me, that way of thinking is retrogressive. It keeps us stuck in cycles of division, suspicion, and missed opportunities. It belongs to a past we should have outgrown a past where identity mattered more than ideas, and loyalty mattered more than progress.
“I believe in leadership with purpose, policies with direction, and a future built on competence, integrity, and vision. Anything less is a distraction. Anything less holds us back.
“We cannot keep choosing sides based on tribe and expect a different outcome. Real change demands that we rise above that.
“My stance is simple, I stand for progress, not division. For vision, not sentiment. For a future that includes everyone, not one that fragments us. That’s the politics I choose”, Mr Bomai stated.
