By Musa Baba Adamu with agency report
A fresh leadership dispute has emerged within the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Taraba State, with the party’s candidate for the Taraba North Senatorial District, Hon. Kabiru Bello Badawaire, dismissing reports that he has been replaced ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Speaking with journalists during the weekend, Badawaire maintained that he remains the APC’s duly nominated candidate for the Senate seat and has no intention of withdrawing from the race in favour of the incumbent lawmaker, Shuaibu Isa Lau.
The APC chieftain, who contested and won the party’s recent senatorial primary, described media reports suggesting his substitution as baseless, insisting that neither the party nor the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had communicated any decision removing him as the party’s candidate.
Badawaire said he remained the legally recognized flag bearer, stressing that he would not relinquish what he described as the mandate freely given to him by party members.
He argued that the Electoral Act clearly stipulates the conditions under which a political party may substitute a candidate, noting that such a process requires voluntary withdrawal through a written notice.
According to him, he has neither withdrawn from the contest nor submitted any letter relinquishing his candidacy, adding that any attempt to replace him outside the provisions of the law would violate due process.
The controversy comes amid growing speculation over the APC’s senatorial ticket for Taraba North ahead of the 2027 elections.
Efforts to obtain comments from Taraba APC Chairman, Alhaji Abubakar Bawa, and the party’s publicity secretary, Mr. Aarin Aritmas, were unsuccessful as they could not be reached before the report was filed.
