The reconciliation efforts of former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Yakubu Dogara, appear to be facing fresh challenges as new grievances over alleged candidate substitution emerge within the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Bauchi State.
Dogara was appointed by the APC leadership in July to reconcile aggrieved aspirants, stakeholders and members following disagreements arising from the party’s primary elections ahead of the 2027 general elections.
But barely two months after the committee was constituted, some State House of Assembly candidates have alleged that their names were substituted after they won the party’s primaries.
The development has further complicated efforts to unite the party, which has witnessed a number of high-profile resignations since its primary elections.
Hon. Abdulhamid Rufai, who claimed victory in the primary for Zungur/Galambi/Miri constituency, said he was declared winner after the May 21 primary but later discovered that his name had been replaced on the INEC candidate list.
Rufai said the result was announced on May 23 by the chairman of the APC Governorship and House of Assembly Primaries Committee, retired AIG John Bassey Abang.
He said the successful candidates subsequently completed their INEC documentation, making the alleged substitution particularly surprising.
Rufai further alleged that Zulkifilu Dahiru Kafi and Ibrahim A. Adamu, who emerged winners in Ganjuwa West and Ganjuwa East respectively, also had their names replaced.
Adamu confirmed that he was among those affected, saying he had completed the required documentation before discovering that his name was absent from the final list.
The allegations have come against the backdrop of wider disagreements over the APC’s governorship primary.
Supporters of Ambassador Yusuf Maitama Tuggar have demanded a review of the emergence of former governor Muhammad Abdullahi Abubakar as the party’s governorship candidate.
The Tuggar Campaign Organisation alleged irregularities in the process and urged the national leadership to consider replacing Abubakar with Tuggar.
Similarly, the Bauchi Progressives Forum rejected the governorship primary results, alleging that no primary election took place across the state.
The party has also suffered a series of resignations involving prominent politicians.
Former deputy governor Sagir Aminu Saleh, Captain Muhammad Bala Jibrin and Hon. Sunusi Aliyu Kunde are among those who have recently quit the APC.
Jibrin cited what he described as “brazen injustice” and alleged imposition of candidates as reasons for his resignation.
Other former members have similarly complained about alleged predetermined results, vote allocation and violations of party guidelines.
Political observers say the developments have increased the burden on the Dogara-led reconciliation committee, particularly as the party seeks to convert recent membership gains into electoral advantage.
They noted that unresolved grievances could weaken the party’s ability to mobilise its major stakeholders ahead of the elections.
However, APC leaders maintain that disagreements are normal in political parties and insist that the party remains capable of resolving its internal challenges.
APC State Chairman Muhammad Hassan Tilde said the party would investigate the allegations of candidate substitution.
The State Publicity Secretary, Shehu Dauda Mohammed, also said members were free to leave the party, stressing that nobody would be forced to remain in the APC.
The effectiveness of the reconciliation process may therefore become a major test for the APC as it attempts to rebuild unity before the 2027 polls.
