A governorship aspirant of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, in Kaduna State, Shuaibu Idris, has rejected the result of the party’s governorship primary election.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, Idris alleged irregularities, describing the exercise as a total fraud.

The aspirant further accused the ADC primary election committee of conducting a flawed and compromised process that failed to meet basic Democratic standards of transparency, fairness, and credibility.

According to the aspirant, who recently defected from the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to the ADC, he joined the party with the hope that it would provide a credible alternative to the existing political culture in Nigeria.

He added that the primary election process was poorly organised from the outset, despite concerns raised by aspirants and stakeholders during a series of meetings with the Election Committee.

“We raised concerns about the sloppy nature of the process, but proceeded in good faith and signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Election Committee.

“This arrangement was clearly susceptible to manipulation, scheming, cheating, and other forms of malpractice. There was no way a credible result could emerge from such a process,” he stated.

The director of research at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs, Femi Otubanjo, has said the treatment of Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, in the just concluded All Progressives Congress’, APC, primary poses political danger to President Bola Tinubu.

Otubanjo stated this on Thursday while speaking on Arise Television’s Morning Show, where he also criticised the role being played by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, in the political affairs of Rivers State and the All Progressives Congress.
According to him, the handling of Fubara’s political crisis remains one of the most surprising developments in Nigeria’s political landscape.

Otubanjo further argued that Wike, who is not a member of the APC, appears to be dictating political activities within the ruling party in Rivers State.The research director warned that the current political arrangement in Rivers State could negatively affect Tinubu politically, insisting that Wike was pursuing his personal agenda rather than that of the president.

He said: “The treatment of Fubara must be one of the American wonders of Nigerian politics. Fubara has been badly treated. We have a situation in which Nyesom Wike who is not even in the APC is taking the primary decision in the APC. I hope the tactical team of President Bola Tinubu is not sleeping.

“The reality is that what they have done is very dangerous for Tinubu. What has emerged in Rivers today is that Wike is pursuing his own agenda, not Tinubu’s agenda inspite of PBAT and all of that combination.”
“If Wike really wants to pursue Tinubu’s agenda, he must retain Fubara.”

A director of research at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs, Femi Otubanjo, has suggested that Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara may defect to the Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, ahead of the 2027 elections.

Speaking during an appearance on Arise Television’s Morning Show on Thursday, Otubanjo said Fubara could emerge as a strong contender in the NDC if he joins the party.
According to him, the Rivers governor may, however, face political challenges if he defects while the 28 lawmakers opposed to him remain in office.

Otubanjo described Fubara’s political crisis as unfortunate, adding that the governor was partly responsible for his current predicament.

He added that Fubara’s emergence as governor was tied to the political structure of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.

He said: “Fubara will go to NDC and he will try. He might even win, but the danger for Fubara is that when he goes to NDC, and he still has the legislators, 28 of them around him, he might even be impeached before the election and that will make him less powerful and less formidable candidate.

“Overall I know that Fubara’s case has been a very bad one, but he, of course, he’s the one who got himself into it. You cannot, like they say, you cannot immediately go into a river and complain of being wet. He was part of that arrangement of allowing to be selected by one man, and now he has been deselected by the same man.”