Former presidential media aide Bashir Ahmad has suggested that chieftain of the Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC), Aisha Yesufu, may be demoralised after she failed to secure the party’s ticket to contest for the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Senate seat in the 2027 elections. Ahmad, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), made the remarks in reaction to Yesufu’s statement that she would not accompany NDC presidential candidate Peter Obi during his 2027 campaign tour.
Yesufu’s statement on campaign role
Yesufu had said: “Yes, I will still campaign with Peter Obi when necessary, but you might not see me travelling around with him as much as possible.” The comment prompted Ahmad to respond on social media platform X, where he wrote that Yesufu had every reason to feel demoralised. He alleged that Obi failed to support her in securing the senatorial ticket, despite her consistent loyalty since joining his team.
Bashir Ahmad’s reaction and allegations
“Aisha Yusuf has every reason to feel demoralised and she has announced that she will not be campaigning for Peter Obi state by state as she did in 2023,” Bashir wrote on X. He added: “It is a well known fact that Mr Peter, her principal, could not stand up for her to secure the senatorial ticket, despite the fact that she has consistently stood by him since joining his team. When it mattered most, he appears to have chosen to protect his own presidential ticket rather than stand up for someone who had stood up for him. In politics, loyalty should be reciprocal.”
Comparison with Kwankwaso
Ahmad further contrasted Obi’s actions with those of Obi’s former running mate, Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso. He noted: “Something his deputy, Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso, would never do. In Kano, he went as far as ensuring that his own son secured the deputy governorship ticket. That is what standing by your people looks like.”
