By Abdullahi Alhassan, Kaduna
The Presidential candidate of the Action Democratic Party (ADP), Ambassador Aliyu Bin Abbas, has raised the alarm over an alleged attempt to secretly replace his candidacy ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Abbas, in a statement issued by his Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Okpani Jacob Onjewu Dickson, and made available to journalists in Kaduna, alleged that political pressure was being mounted on the leadership of the party to substitute his name with that of another candidate.
He described the alleged move as a threat to the integrity of the electoral process and an attempt to undermine democratic competition.
According to him, any effort to withdraw, replace or otherwise alter his candidacy without his express consent and in violation of the law would amount to a serious assault on democratic principles.
“Any attempt to secretly substitute, withdraw, replace or otherwise compromise my candidacy without my express consent and without strict adherence to the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the Electoral Act, the constitution and regulations of the ADP, and applicable INEC procedures would constitute a grave assault on democratic principles and the rights of our members and supporters,” he said.
Abbas alleged that the National Chairman of the ADP, Engr. Yabagi Yusuf Sani, was being subjected to political pressure by a presidential candidate of an opposition party, purportedly in an effort to pave the way for a single presidential candidate from Northern Nigeria.
He said such an arrangement would amount to eliminating competing political voices through political manoeuvring rather than allowing Nigerians to determine their preferred candidates through the ballot box.
“Nigeria’s democracy cannot be held hostage by the personal ambitions of any individual or political establishment,” Abbas said.
The ADP candidate maintained that his emergence followed the recognised constitutional and democratic procedures of the party, stressing that his mandate could not be treated as a commodity for political negotiations behind closed doors.
“My mandate is not a personal possession of any individual, neither is it a political bargaining chip to be traded behind closed doors,” he said.
Abbas consequently appealed to the ADP National Chairman, National Working Committee, Board of Trustees, state chairmen, party leaders and other stakeholders to resist political pressure and protect the integrity of the party.
He urged the leadership to ensure that the ADP remained committed to its members and the democratic process, regardless of the influence or interests of individuals within or outside the party.
“The ADP must not become an instrument for the ambition of any individual, regardless of how powerful or influential that individual may be.
“Our party belongs to its members. Our mandate belongs to the people. And our democracy belongs to Nigeria,” he added.
The presidential candidate further called on the party leadership to safeguard all official documents and records relating to the presidential primary, nomination process, submission of his candidacy and communications with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
He urged that no changes be made to the party’s presidential ticket outside the procedures established by the ADP constitution and Nigeria’s electoral laws.
