Fresh controversy has emerged in Adamawa State following the declaration of Ahmed Tijjani Galadima, a former Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF) boss, as the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in a primary election now being widely disputed by party members.
Galadima was announced winner by the APC Governorship Primary Election Committee chaired by Professor Innocent Bariko, with a reported total of 414,444 votes. His closest rival, Abdulrazak Namdas, allegedly polled 86,004 votes, while Abdulrahman Bashir Haske reportedly came third with 65,934 votes.
However, the announcement immediately triggered backlash within the party, with several stakeholders insisting that no actual voting process took place across Adamawa State.
Some party members alleged that there was no evidence of accreditation, voting, or collation in any local government area, describing the exercise as a predetermined outcome rather than a genuine election.
One of the aspirants, Abdulrahman Bashir Haske, rejected the results outright, questioning the credibility of the figures and suggesting that the process lacked transparency. He indicated that consultations were ongoing, hinting at possible legal or political action.
Reports from the venue in Yola also suggested that representatives of rival candidates were absent during the announcement, further intensifying concerns over the legitimacy of the exercise.
Several APC stakeholders accused party leadership of repeating patterns of internal imposition and flawed processes that have previously triggered disputes within the state chapter.
Political observers warn that the situation could deepen internal divisions within the party and potentially lead to fresh legal battles ahead of the governorship election cycle.
The national leadership of the APC has yet to issue an official response to the allegations surrounding the primary.
Despite the controversy, Galadima has accepted the outcome and called for unity within the party, urging other aspirants to support the party’s direction going forward.
