Popular activist and ally of Peter Obi, Aisha Yesufu, has opened up on her failed bid for the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) senatorial ticket of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), revealing that her ambition was cut short because the primary process was “subverted.”
The development effectively brings an end to speculations that the NDC had quietly ceded the ticket to Amanda Pam, an older member of the party.
While Yesufu had initially brushed off those rumours, she released a series of statements confirming that the party did not conduct an open, competitive primary for the FCT senate seat.
According to Yesufu, she entered the political space not to leave advocacy behind, but to take advocacy directly into politics. She explained that she ran a formidable, people-powered grassroots campaign backed by her volunteer network, which ultimately terrified the establishment.
Yesufu stated that the system used procedural tactics to engineer a predetermined outcome rather than letting the people choose. She noted that the primaries were repeatedly postponed, venues were changed at the last minute, and the direct primaries meant to hold at Local Government headquarters were suddenly replaced by a delegate-based process in a single central location.
“When the moment came, the contest was not decided by delegates in the open; it was affirmed in a closed room, away from the people whose voices it was supposed to reflect,” Yesufu revealed.
She added that while the party might release statements claiming the process was free and fair, “the facts that transpired when litigated by conscience and the guidelines of the Electoral Act do not reflect justice and fairness.”
Despite the alleged injustice, Yesufu clarified that she did not quit or drop out of the race, nor does she intend to challenge the matter in court. She explained that she chose not to exhaust herself in a grievance system designed to wear people down, preferring to walk away with the practical lessons and clarity she gained about the inner workings of the political system.
She carefully noted that her experience was unique to the FCT senatorial race and does not define what transpired within the party in other states.
Yesufu urged her supporters to remain calm. She emphasized that despite these deep internal shortcomings, the NDC remains the only political platform supporting the best presidential candidate for the 2027 general election.
“This is not the end,” Yesufu declared. “What we built, the network, the credibility, the grassroots trust, cannot be taken away in a backroom.”
Popular activist and ally of Peter Obi, Aisha Yesufu, has opened up on her failed bid for the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) senatorial ticket of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), revealing that her ambition was cut short because the primary process was “subverted.”
The development effectively brings an end to speculations that the NDC had quietly ceded the ticket to Amanda Pam, an older member of the party.
While Yesufu had initially brushed off those rumours, she released a series of statements confirming that the party did not conduct an open, competitive primary for the FCT senate seat.
According to Yesufu, she entered the political space not to leave advocacy behind, but to take advocacy directly into politics. She explained that she ran a formidable, people-powered grassroots campaign backed by her volunteer network, which ultimately terrified the establishment.
Yesufu stated that the system used procedural tactics to engineer a predetermined outcome rather than letting the people choose. She noted that the primaries were repeatedly postponed, venues were changed at the last minute, and the direct primaries meant to hold at Local Government headquarters were suddenly replaced by a delegate-based process in a single central location.
“When the moment came, the contest was not decided by delegates in the open; it was affirmed in a closed room, away from the people whose voices it was supposed to reflect,” Yesufu revealed.
She added that while the party might release statements claiming the process was free and fair, “the facts that transpired when litigated by conscience and the guidelines of the Electoral Act do not reflect justice and fairness.”
Despite the alleged injustice, Yesufu clarified that she did not quit or drop out of the race, nor does she intend to challenge the matter in court. She explained that she chose not to exhaust herself in a grievance system designed to wear people down, preferring to walk away with the practical lessons and clarity she gained about the inner workings of the political system.
She carefully noted that her experience was unique to the FCT senatorial race and does not define what transpired within the party in other states.
Yesufu urged her supporters to remain calm. She emphasized that despite these deep internal shortcomings, the NDC remains the only political platform supporting the best presidential candidate for the 2027 general election.
“This is not the end,” Yesufu declared. “What we built, the network, the credibility, the grassroots trust, cannot be taken away in a backroom.”
