By Emmanuel Mogbede
Alhaji Musa Kashim, All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship aspirant in Yobe, has said that for a consensus agreement to stand in any state, it must be amongst aspirants rather than a few individuals.
Kashim said this on Tuesday in Abuja while speaking with newsmen shortly after being presented with the party’s Expression of Interest and Nomination forms to contest Yobe governorship election in 2027.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the forms were purchased for the aspirant by two groups: Haske Forum Yobe and Yobe First Movement for N50 million.
Kashim, a former diplomat, development advocate and former board member of NNPC, said consensus had to be an agreement amongst aspirants, not by few individuals who were not in the race.
He maintained that consensus arrangement must be amongst those who bought the party’s expression of interest and nomination forms, and joined the race to seek political offices.
He said it was important that even when a consensus was adopted, a popular aspirant should be brought forward to prevent the party from loosing its chances.
“If you bring an unpopular candidate, it’s going to be detrimental to the party, and I don’t want to see such happening to APC in my state, Yobe,” he said.
Kashim advised the party against allowing what he said played up in 2023 in Yobe, leading to Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) winning the presidential election in the state, to happen again.
“If we are not careful in managing this consensus arrangement, the same scenario will play out and we don’t want that to happen.
“By virtue of the Electorial Act, when you talk about consensus, you’re talking about consensus amongst aspirants, and you cannot be an aspirant unless you purchase the nomination forms.
“That’s what qualifies you as an aspirant to go for any talk about consensus, and if the party agrees that there is going to be consensus, all the people that indicated interest in the race have to be involved.
“Consensus doesn’t mean one or two people will sit in a room and select whoever they want as the candidate for Yobe; that is not consensus.
“That is why I feel up till now, we have not fully adhered to the requirements for consensus, and that is why I think the Yobe Haske movement and Haske Forum decided to purchase the form for me,” he said.
The governorship aspirant noted that the timeframe for purchasing the forms was short, adding that it would have been be difficult if the group had failed to purchase the forms now.
He added that political positions could not make anyone a better candidate, adding that it was what an individual did for his people and his anticidents in previous political office that mattered.
NAN recalled that the APC Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Mr Duro Meseko, had earlier dismissed reports suggesting restriction of the party’s nomination forms, saying the process remained open to all qualified APC aspirants nationwide.
“I am here to inform all party faithful that nomination forms are open to all aspirants seeking elective offices in the coming 2027 general elections,” he said.
On primaries, he said that the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) adopted both direct and consensus options as permitted under the Electoral Act, depending on circumstance.
He, however, said that consensus arrangements must reflect agreement among aspirants and key stakeholders before any adoption by party structures.
“Where consensus fails or is rejected by any aspirant, the party automatically reverts to direct primary elections,” Meseko stated.
Leader of Haske Forum Yobe, Hajiya Fati Godowoli, said that the group had to mount pressure on Kashim, appealing to him for months to join the race before he agreed.
“It came to the point that we had a conference calling on all our members to come on board and support this great challenge to which they responded, and this is where we are today.
“We have got the expression of interest and nomination forms and we are here to submit the forms to him.
“Finally, we are very grateful to God Almighty and we continue to pray that God will grant him success.
“God willing, he will be our governor in 2027. We are much grateful and we pray for God to be with us and guide him.,” she said.
Godowoli added that the group chose Kashim because of his anticidents over the years.(NAN)(www.nanews.ng)
EEM/WAS
Edited by ‘Wale Sadeeq
