From Nasir Shuaibu, BAUCHI
Fresh controversy has hit the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Bauchi State following allegations by some House of Assembly aspirants that their names were substituted after they emerged victorious in the party’s primary elections.
The development has renewed concerns over internal democracy within the opposition party ahead of the 2027 general elections, coming amid a series of resignations by prominent members and unresolved disagreements over the party’s governorship primary.
One of the affected politicians, Hon. Abdulhamid Rufai, alleged that his name was removed from the list of APC candidates for the Zungur/Galambi/Miri State Constituency despite being declared winner of the primary.
Rufai said the primary was conducted on May 21, 2026, while the result was announced two days later by the chairman of the APC Governorship and House of Assembly Primaries Committee, retired Assistant Inspector-General of Police, John Bassey Abang.
According to him, he was formally declared a winner and, alongside other successful candidates, completed the documentation required by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
He said the 31 State House of Assembly candidates were issued forms by INEC, which they completed and submitted before the documents were taken to the APC National Secretariat.
Rufai said he was therefore shocked when the list subsequently released by INEC contained another name in place of his.
“After the list was released, my name was changed. It had been replaced by another person's name,” he alleged.
He alleged that the substitution could have been linked to efforts by influential party members to accommodate their loyalists.
Rufai said he would pursue all legitimate avenues to challenge the development, adding that his lawyers and civil society organisations were prepared to support his quest for justice.
He also alleged that Zulkifilu Dahiru Kafi, winner of the Ganjuwa West constituency primary, and Ibrahim A. Adamu, winner of Ganjuwa East, suffered similar treatment.
A visit by our correspondent to the INEC office in Bauchi also showed that Rufai’s name had been replaced with that of Musa Muhammed Jibrin.
Adamu, who also alleged substitution, said the affected candidates had completed their documentation before discovering that their names were missing from the final list.
The latest allegations have added to existing tensions within the APC, despite the party’s earlier efforts to reconcile its members.
The party had in July appointed former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Yakubu Dogara, to head a reconciliation committee mandated to resolve grievances among aspirants, stakeholders and members.
However, fresh complaints have continued to emerge, with some prominent members also resigning from the party.
Those who recently left include former Bauchi deputy governor, Alhaji Sagir Aminu Saleh; former two-time APC governorship aspirant, Captain Muhammad Bala Jibrin; and Hon. Sunusi Aliyu Kunde.
Earlier, Hon. Rabilu Bala Kashuri, Hon. Tijjani Mohammed Aliyu, Hon. Abubakar Dahuwa Abdulkadir and others also announced their departure from the party over various grievances.
The crisis has also affected the governorship ticket, with supporters of former Foreign Affairs Minister, Ambassador Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, calling on the APC national leadership to review the emergence of former governor Muhammad Abdullahi Abubakar as the party’s candidate.
The Tuggar Campaign Organisation alleged irregularities in the governorship primary, while the Bauchi Progressives Forum also rejected the announced results.
The allegations have been disputed by APC supporters who insist that the party remains strong in the state.
When contacted, APC State Chairman Muhammad Hassan Tilde said the party would investigate the allegation of candidate substitution.
The party’s State Publicity Secretary, Shehu Dauda Mohammed, meanwhile, said disagreements were normal within political parties, stressing that nobody would be forced to remain in the APC.
With the 2027 elections drawing closer, the latest controversy has placed renewed pressure on the party leadership and the Dogara-led reconciliation committee to resolve outstanding grievances and restore confidence among its members.
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