Guber Primary: Yobe Senator Rejects Consensus Candidacy

A gubernatorial aspirant in Yobe State, Senator Ibrahim Mohammed Bomai, has faulted the reported selection of the secretary to the state government as a consensus candidate by selected APC stakeholders in the state.

In a statement yesterday, Sen Bomai said the purported handpicking of the SSG by a former governor of the state, while the sale of nomination forms and expressions of interest forms was in progress, was not only disturbing but a direct affront to democracy and an unacceptable attempt to override the collective will of the people.

He said the popular will of the masses should be prioritised over personal desires.

The senator who represents Yobe South, said while he has the opportunity to return to the senate for a third term, the future of the people of Yobe State, youths, women, the masses and even generations yet unborn, must guide the decisions made today.

He said, “History and prosperity will favour us if we choose courage over convenience, if we prioritise the will of the masses over personal desires; if we embrace a new direction that reflects the true voice of the people.”

While indicating interest to contest next year’s guber primary under the APC, he added, “Let us, for once, truly listen to the people from Zone A to Zone B, and from Zone B to Zone C.

“Let their voices be heard during our primaries. Let their will determine who emerges as our flag bearer. This aligns with the spirit of the amended Electoral Act of 2026, which places greater trust in the people.

“No individual, regardless of past office or influence, has the moral or political authority to determine the leadership of millions behind closed doors. Such selfish interest is arbitrary, illegitimate, and a dangerous regression to a system where power is dictated, not earned.

“Yobe State is not a private estate. It belongs to its citizens. Leadership must emerge from the free, fair, and transparent choice of the people – not from imposition, manipulation, or elite arrangements designed to serve narrow interests.

“We categorically reject this attempt to subvert due process. We reject the culture of imposition. We reject any scheme that undermines fairness, equity and the democratic rights of our people.”

He said any effort to force leadership on the people of Yobe would be firmly resisted through lawful and democratic means, as silence should not be mistaken for consent, and intimidation would not weaken their resolve.

He urged all stakeholders, political leaders, institutions and citizens to rise in defense of democracy, to insist on transparency, and ensure that the future of the state is determined openly and justly.

Bomai said Yobe State must move forward, guided by the will of its people, and not the dictates of a few.