Hon. Ishaku Yamawo, a chairmanship aspirant for the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) under the All Progressives Congress (APC), has rejected the results of the party’s recent primary election, citing widespread irregularities and lack of transparency.
Speaking at a press conference in Abuja, Yamawo, a founding APC member in the Federal Capital Territory, accused the party’s leadership of orchestrating a process that sidelined credible contenders and undermined democratic values.
“The AMAC primaries were not just flawed; they betrayed the principles of justice, equity, and inclusion that the APC stands for,” he said.
Yamawo claimed that the delegate congress held on June 21 across AMAC’s twelve wards was marred by irregularities. He alleged that officials from the APC national headquarters arrived with a premeditated agenda to support a particular candidate, effectively excluding others from the process.
He further alleged that the final primary election, held on June 25, was conducted secretly, with no official communication to several aspirants, including himself.
“It was a sham election. We were neither informed nor involved. The outcome was predetermined,” he said.
Yamawo also criticised the conduct of councillorship primaries, particularly in Gwarimpa Ward, where he alleged that a losing candidate was wrongly declared the winner and issued a certificate of return.
Having submitted a petition to the APC Delegate Congress Appeal Committee without receiving a response, Yamawo is now urging newly appointed APC national chairman, Prof. Nantawe Yilwatda, to take urgent action.
He called for an independent investigation into the AMAC primaries, cancellation of the June 25 chairmanship poll, and the organisation of a new, transparent election process.
“This level of manipulation sets a dangerous precedent. If this is allowed to stand, it tells loyal members that integrity no longer matters,” he warned.
Despite his dissatisfaction, Yamawo affirmed his continued loyalty to the party and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope agenda. “My loyalty remains with the APC and President Tinubu’s vision. But staying silent in the face of injustice is not loyalty—it’s complicity,” he said
