Niger State Governor, Mohammed Umaru Bago, has convened an emergency stakeholders’ meeting to placate aggrieved members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) following the wave of defections that trailed the party’s recently concluded primaries.
The meeting, held at the Government House in Minna, brought together many governorship, National Assembly and State Assembly aspirants who lost out in the party’s consensus arrangements for the 2027 general elections.
The intervention comes amid growing discontent within the ruling party after several unsuccessful aspirants reportedly met in Abuja last week to review the outcome of the primaries and chart a common course of action.
The internal crisis escalated with the defection of several prominent APC members, including former commissioners, ex-local government chairmen, former councillors and political appointees who served under the immediate past administration.
The defectors were led by former Chief of Staff to ex-Governor Abubakar Sani Bello, Alhaji Maikil Bmitosahi, who accused the Bago administration of operating what he described as a one-man government.
Apparently concerned by the growing unrest within the party, Governor Bago appealed to aggrieved members to set aside their grievances and work for the unity and electoral success of the APC.
He commended the aspirants for their maturity and patience during the primary process, assuring them that his administration operates an open-door policy and would provide opportunities for them to contribute to governance through strategic appointments.
Bago said his administration remained committed to delivering people-oriented programmes and urged party members to remain united in advancing the development of the state.
The governor, however, issued a stern warning to members planning to leave the party, advising them to do so quietly rather than engage in public criticism.
He also claimed to possess records relating to the activities of former political appointees in the previous administration but said he had refrained from taking action in the interest of peace.
“I have the files of all the former appointees of the immediate past administration and their dirty deals, but I have chosen to remain silent for peace to reign,” he said.
Drawing a comparison with President Bola Tinubu’s leadership style, Bago added that he would not hesitate to act against those he described as “noise makers.”
The governor also cautioned social media users against spreading what he termed false information about his administration, urging citizens to make use of the Freedom of Information Act where necessary instead of disseminating unverified claims.
Speaking at the meeting, the APC National Vice Chairman (North Central), Mu’azu Bawa, and the state APC Chairman, Musa Bobi, commended Bago’s leadership, saying it had strengthened the party in the state.
On behalf of the House of Representatives aspirants who lost in the primaries, Hon. Abdulrazak Jakadan Borgu pledged continued loyalty to the APC, saying the aspirants had accepted the outcome of the exercise and would work for the party’s unity and victory in the 2027 general elections.