APC Group Rejects Jos North-North Ticket, Demands It Be Given to Runner-Up

• Alleges imposition after disqualified winner, cites 182-vote candidate given flag

Our Reporter

A faction within the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Plateau State has called on the party’s national leadership to withdraw the House of Assembly ticket for Jos North-North Constituency and reissue it to the runner-up, alleging that the nomination of the fourth-placed aspirant violates party rules and Nigerian electoral law.

Members of the Like Minds Progressive Forum made the demand on Tuesday, July 14, 2026, during a press conference at the NUJ Secretariat in Jos.

According to results signed by Kaban Yohanna, Chairman of the APC House of Assembly Primary Election Committee, Hon. Adamu Aliyu won the primary with 13,066 votes. Hon. Harry Ishaya came second with 1,904 votes, Shehu Bala Usman had 239 votes, and Abdulkadir Hassan polled 182 votes.

The forum led by its chairman, Rotshak Augustine, and Secretary, Michael Iliya, said Hon. Adamu Aliyu was later “not cleared by the party and therefore stands disqualified.”

The group argued that where a winning aspirant is disqualified, the candidate with the next highest votes should be declared the party’s flag bearer.

“It is common knowledge based on the law of the Federal Republic of Nigeria that, where a leading aspirant stands disqualified, the candidate with the next highest number of votes becomes declared winner,” the forum stated.

It said Hon. Harry Ishaya, who was duly cleared and came second, is therefore entitled to the party’s Certificate of Return for Jos North-North State Constituency.

Instead, the forum alleged, APC leadership issued the nomination form and flag bearer status to Abdulkadir Hassan, who finished fourth with 182 votes.

“This action, we submit, is inconsistent with the party’s constitution and undermines the integrity of the democratic process within the party,” the group said.

The forum cited Section 85 of the Electoral Act 2026, which it said prohibits political parties from imposing arbitrary qualification or disqualification criteria on aspirants.

The group urged the APC leadership to act in line with the party’s motto of “Justice, Peace and Unity” by awarding the ticket to Hon. Harry Ishaya.

“It is morally wrong, politically insane and socially provocative to give the flag bearer status to the person who emerged a distant fourth after the supposed winner remains uncleared,” it said.

The forum described Hon. Ishaya as a loyal APC member who has contributed to the party in Naraguta B Ward, Jos North LGA, and across Plateau State.

It appealed to the national leadership and stakeholders to address the “glaring inaccuracies and unholy contradiction” to avoid shame and damage to the party.

“As loyal citizens and ardent democrats who believe in the rule of law, we will do everything lawfully possible, legal or otherwise, not to destroy a party we have built for over a decade, but to save it from mischievous individuals,” the group added.

Please follow and like us:

20