The recently concluded APC senatorial primaries in the Federal Capital Territory have triggered a wave of commentary, some measured and others steeped in fear-mongering.
Among the latter is a widely circulated article portraying the aspiration of the Chairman of Abaji Area Council, Abubakar Umar Abdullahi (AUA), as a reckless misadventure, one supposedly engineered in defiance of the authority of the Honourable Minister of the FCT, Nyesom Wike. Such framing is not only inaccurate but also corrosive to the democratic culture we claim to defend.
Contrary to the narrative of disloyalty and insubordination, the chairman’s participation in the race represented a healthy expression of internal party democracy, the same democracy that distinguishes credible political parties from hollow political platforms. A party that discourages ambition or treats competition as rebellion cannot grow.
The APC, at both national and sub-national levels, has consistently insisted that its doors are open to qualified aspirants. AUA took that principle seriously.
The sensational claim that the chairman “attempted to execute an impossible political gamble” misrepresents what transpired. Aspirations are not gambles; they are propositions placed before party delegates. Delegates speak, the party decides, and life moves on. That is the essence of democracy, not a rebellion against authority.
The comparison to Governor Siminalayi Fubara is equally misplaced. The political dynamics of Rivers State cannot be compared to the FCT, where political actors operate within a more collaborative, less personalised ecosystem.
AUA did not enter the contest as a renegade; he entered as a party member seeking to contribute to the development of the FCT through legislative representation.
The attempt to belittle his ambition by painting him as naïve or ill-prepared ignores his actual performance as chairman. Under his leadership, Abaji Area Council has witnessed improvements in service delivery, infrastructural upgrades, and a renewed sense of inclusiveness. These achievements constitute legitimate political capital, the same capital that qualifies any leader to aspire for higher responsibility.
Moreover, the suggestion that his bid was an affront to the Honourable Minister unfairly portrays His Excellency, Nyesom Wike, a man we all consider our leader and father, as intolerant of democratic participation. This, too, is a political disservice.
The Minister is a seasoned administrator, a lawyer, and a former governor. He understands political ambition. He has navigated more complex contests and rivalries. To imply that he would respond vindictively to a lawful political aspiration is to underestimate his maturity and overstate the fears of those projecting insecurity on his behalf.
The mention of Philip Tanimu Aduda, a respected three-term senator, as an unbeatable gladiator further betrays the central weakness of the controversial article: its obsession with political hierarchy as a fixed order rather than an evolving process. Aduda’s experience is unquestionable, but experience does not invalidate participation. The party’s strength lies in its ability to allow emerging leaders to coexist with established ones.
AUA’s supporters were also unfairly maligned. Politics is fluid; support rises and falls depending on outcomes. That does not make supporters “noise makers” nor does it make the aspirant a “crying coffin seller.” Such derogatory metaphors have no place in serious political discourse. They undermine not just an individual, but the dignity of the office he occupies and the people he represents.
Most importantly, the insinuation that AUA now risks election to other positions because he dared to contest for the Senate weaponises fear against ambition. Should leaders suppress legitimate aspirations just to appear loyal? Should young politicians sit quietly on the sidelines while the same elite dominate the political landscape for decades? Democracy thrives only when ambition is encouraged, not criminalised.
The chairman issued a press statement after the primaries not in defiance, but in deference to peace. He congratulated the party, maintained decorum, and refrained from inflammatory language. If anything, he demonstrated loyalty to both the party and the FCT administration. Silence in such contexts is diplomacy, not rebellion.
Rather than vilify ambition, the FCT should celebrate it. The presence of multiple aspirants enriches the political process, expands the talent pool, and shows that the APC remains vibrant. For the Honourable Minister, it reflects positively that such ambition can thrive under his leadership. Strong leaders do not fear political participation; they welcome it.
AUA’s aspiration did not threaten the Minister. It strengthened the APC. It strengthened internal democracy. It strengthened the right of every party member, young or old, to rise.
And democracy is better for it.
Samaila Usman
Writes from Abuja
