Alleged APC Card Seizure Sparks Tension Ahead of Yobe Governorship Primaries

Alleged APC Card Seizure Sparks Tension Ahead of Yobe Governorship Primaries

By Njadvara Musa, Damaturu

Tension is mounting within the Yobe State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) following allegations that party officials are forcibly collecting members’ registration cards ahead of the upcoming governorship primaries in Damaturu.

The claims were made by a group, Yobe State Concerned Citizens (YSCC), which warned that the development could undermine internal democracy and disenfranchise delegates expected to participate in the exercise.

In a statement issued on Wednesday in Damaturu, the group’s coordinator, Musa Ali Baba, alleged that the ongoing collection of membership cards was part of a broader scheme to influence the outcome of the primaries.

“We received disturbing reports that the APC leadership in Yobe is currently forcing members to surrender their registration cards,” Mr Baba said.

He added that the situation is unfolding barely days before the primaries scheduled for the end of April, raising concerns about transparency in the selection process.

Mr Baba further alleged that some party leaders had earlier attempted to promote a preferred governorship aspirant without conducting primaries, a move he said was resisted by party members and other aspirants.

According to him, the alleged seizure of membership cards—particularly from grassroots members—has triggered widespread concern across the state’s 17 local government areas.

He warned that the move could be a strategy to restrict participation in the primaries to a select group of loyalists, especially if the party adopts a direct primary system.

“If this suspicion proves true, it would amount to outright electoral manipulation, denying party members the right to freely choose their candidate,” he said.

The group called on the APC’s national leadership to intervene and halt the alleged practice, while urging members not to surrender their cards.

It also threatened legal action against anyone found confiscating membership cards from party members.

However, the APC in Yobe has denied the allegations.

The party’s State Youth Leader, Musa Muhammad Gulani, described the claims as false and politically motivated.

“No directive has been issued for the collection of membership cards from any APC member in Yobe State,” Mr Gulani said.

He accused unnamed individuals of attempting to create tension within the party and mislead the public.

Mr Gulani reaffirmed the party’s commitment to conducting a transparent and credible governorship primary, urging members and the public to disregard what he described as baseless allegations.