By Khalid Idris Doya
Thousands of supporters of gubernatorial aspirant Nura Manu Soro under the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) on Thursday staged a peaceful protest in Bauchi State, demanding a free, fair, and transparent conduct of the party’s governorship primary election.
The protesters, drawn from 20 Local Government Areas of the state and displaying their APC membership cards, converged on Bauchi metropolis to call on the committee responsible for conducting the primaries to strictly adhere to the party:s guidelines and electoral procedures.
Addressing journalists during the protest, a Director of the Nura Manu Soro Campaign Organisation for 2027, Dr. Auwalu Babajada, said the mobilisation became necessary due to growing concerns over alleged irregularities in the conduct of party primaries.
According to him, party members could no longer accept situations where a few individuals allegedly determine the fate of aspirants behind closed doors.
"This crowd was mobilised because we realised that the conduct of primaries is no longer what it used to be. Some people now sit comfortably at home and decide the fate of aspirants without following due process," he said.
Babajada explained that the campaign organisation arranged transportation from all the 212 wards across the state to ensure that party members participate in safeguarding the integrity of the electoral process.
"The aim is for party members to accompany election materials back to their respective wards so that the exercise can be conducted transparently and without fear of manipulation," he added.
He maintained that the protest was peaceful and aimed solely at protecting the democratic rights of party members. "We are here for peace, unity, and justice. Since the arrival of our supporters, there has been no incident of violence or disorder," he stated.
Babajada further alleged that there were attempts by some individuals to manipulate the process by secretly moving result sheets and announcing outcomes outside the designated collation process.
"If the process is truly free and fair, there should be no reason to hide election materials. Agents of all the aspirants should be allowed to monitor the process from the wards up to the final collation," he said.
He stressed that supporters of Nura Manu Soro were prepared to accept the outcome of the primary election, provided the process remained credible and transparent.
"Whoever emerges victorious through a fair process will be accepted by all of us," he added.
Also speaking, Dr. Hassan Aliyu Abdullahi said many of those who participated in the protest were dissatisfied with the conduct of the recent National Assembly primaries, alleging that elections were not properly conducted in several parts of the state.
He said party members would not remain silent if similar irregularities were repeated during the governorship primary.
"The officials and some individuals within the APC are afraid because they lack grassroots support and want to impose a candidate on the people. That is unacceptable in Bauchi State," he alleged.
Abdullahi called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and APC National Chairman Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda to ensure fairness, transparency, and justice in the conduct of the governorship primaries.
According to him, the APC was already facing internal challenges across Northern Nigeria and should focus on resolving the crisis rather than worsening it.
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