By Christopher Ameh, Bauchi
The influx of more than 11,000 new members into the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Bauchi State has been overshadowed by the absence of several prominent party leaders at a reception held on Saturday at the Azare Township Stadium.
The event was organised to formally receive the defectors from various political parties into the APC, ahead of the 2027 general elections.
APC State Chairman, Alhaji Hassan Mohammed Tilde, said more than 150,000 people had recently joined the party across the state, describing the development as evidence of the APC’s growing popularity.
He expressed confidence that the party would secure victory in the state in the 2027 elections.
Among those formally received into the party were Yusuf Mohammed Bako, a former member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Allied Peoples Movement (APM) and African Democratic Congress (ADC); Hassana Arkila, who defected from the APM; and Hajiya Zainab Baban Takko, a former member of the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP).
The APC governorship running mate, Dr Farouk Mustapha, presented the directory of the new members to the party’s state leader and Minister of Health, Prof. Mohammed Ali Pate.
Mustapha said the list would be forwarded to the APC National Chairman, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda.
He described his return to the APC as a return to familiar political ground and expressed optimism that the party would win all elective positions in Bauchi State in 2027.
However, the event was marked by the absence of several prominent APC figures in the state, including former Foreign Affairs Minister, Ambassador Yusuf Maitama Tuggar; former Bauchi State Governor and Renewed Hope Ambassador/Coordinator for the North-East, Mallam Isa Yuguda; former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Yakubu Dogara; and governorship aspirants, Alhaji Nura Manu Soro and Bala Maijama’a Wunti.
No official explanation was immediately given for their absence.
However, some party members and insiders, who spoke on condition of anonymity, attributed the development to lingering disagreements over internal party democracy and the processes leading to the selection of candidates for the 2027 elections.
Some members alleged irregularities during recent party primaries, including claims that election materials were not distributed to polling units and that some voters were left without adequate information about the exercise.
The development has prompted calls on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the APC National Chairman, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, to intervene and reconcile aggrieved members and aspirants.
The stakeholders warned that failure to address the grievances could undermine the party’s recent membership gains and affect its chances in the 2027 elections.
While the mass defection represents a boost to the APC’s structure in Bauchi, the growing concerns over internal cohesion may pose a challenge to the party as it prepares for the 2027 polls.
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