The presidential candidate of the Action Democratic Party, ADP, Ambassador Aliyu Bin Abbas, has raised concerns over what he described as possible attempts to alter the party’s presidential ticket ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Abbas warned that any move to replace or substitute him without his consent and outside recognised legal and party procedures would amount to a violation of democratic principles.
In a statement issued in Kaduna on Friday by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Okpani Jacob Onjewu Dickson, the ADP candidate said he had received information suggesting that political pressure was being mounted over the party’s presidential candidacy.
He, however, did not provide independent evidence to support the allegation.
According to Abbas, decisions concerning the party’s presidential candidate must comply with the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the Electoral Act, the ADP constitution and regulations, as well as relevant procedures of the Independent National Electoral Commission.
He said his emergence as the party’s presidential candidate followed recognised internal processes and insisted that any future action concerning the ticket must be handled openly and in accordance with the law.
“My mandate is not a personal possession of any individual, neither is it a political bargaining chip to be traded behind closed doors,” Abbas said.
The presidential candidate called on the ADP leadership to safeguard the integrity of its nomination process, particularly the party’s National Chairman, Engr. Yabagi Yusuf Sani, members of the National Working Committee, Board of Trustees, state chairmen and other stakeholders.
He also urged party officials to preserve all records connected to the presidential primary and nomination process, including relevant documents submitted to INEC and communications between the party and the electoral commission.
Abbas maintained that any change to the party’s presidential ticket should only be carried out through procedures clearly permitted under the party’s constitution and Nigeria’s electoral laws.
He said such a process must be transparent, lawful and capable of being independently verified by relevant stakeholders.
The ADP candidate further appealed to political actors within the party to respect the rights of its members and supporters and avoid actions that could undermine confidence in its internal democratic processes.
Abbas said candidates for the 2027 elections should emerge through established democratic procedures rather than private political arrangements.
“Our party belongs to its members. Our mandate belongs to the people. And our democracy belongs to Nigeria,” he said.
The statement comes as political parties begin internal consultations and preparations ahead of the 2027 general elections, with questions surrounding candidate selection expected to remain a key issue in Nigeria’s political landscape.
