Our attention has been drawn to a publication titled “Response to the Protest by Ward A APC Aspirants Forum: Performance, Democracy and Party Decision Must Prevail,” in which some political actors attempted to defend the purported endorsement of Hon. Bin Ebaiya Shehu Tijani for a second term in Lokoja I State Constituency.
While every citizen reserves the right to express opinion, it is necessary to correct the falsehoods, distortions, and dangerous assumptions contained in that publication.
To begin with, the so-called stakeholders’ voting process used to endorse Hon. Bin Ebaiya Shehu Tijani has no legal standing under Nigeria’s electoral framework. The Electoral Act 2026 (as amended) provides that candidates for elective office must emerge through properly conducted party primaries in accordance with party guidelines and under the supervision of the relevant electoral authorities. No gathering of handpicked stakeholders can lawfully replace that process. What occurred was not democracy; it was an unconstitutional attempt to pre-determine the will of party members.
Equally troubling is the repeated claim of “performance” by the supporters of Hon. BEST without any corresponding evidence. If performance is truly the basis for his second-term ambition, the public deserves to know: What landmark projects has he delivered? What legislative milestones has he achieved? What constituency interventions justify continuity? Political slogans cannot substitute for verifiable performance. Let his record speak—not empty rhetoric.
The argument that Hon. BEST has a “right” to second term is equally misleading. No elective office in democracy is inherited or guaranteed. Indeed, the most celebrated lawmaker to have represented Lokoja I State Constituency, Hon. Sulaiman Babadoko, did not secure a second term despite his remarkable performance. Likewise, even some of those now championing this illegal endorsement did not enjoy second terms in their respective offices. Clearly, second term is not automatic; it is earned.
On zoning, while detractors argue that it lacks constitutional backing, they deliberately ignore the fact that zoning remains a respected political arrangement designed to ensure fairness, equity, and peaceful power rotation. It has long shaped political stability in Lokoja I. To abandon it now simply because it no longer suits certain interests exposes the hypocrisy behind their argument.
More importantly, Ward A remains the largest ward in Lokoja Local Government with the highest voting strength. By every political calculation, Ward A has both the electoral capacity and democratic legitimacy to produce a formidable and victorious candidate for the 2027 elections.
It is therefore dishonest to reduce legitimate agitation for fairness and due process to “political frustration.” What is being challenged is not an individual’s ambition, but an unlawful and unjust process designed to sideline other aspirants and impose a preferred candidate on the party.
If Hon. Bin Ebaiya Shehu Tijani is truly confident in his popularity, acceptability, and performance, he should submit himself to a transparent and competitive primary election rather than rely on orchestrated endorsements.
APC in Lokoja must choose between strengthening internal democracy and embracing impunity. Party supremacy cannot mean supremacy of a few individuals over due process.
Lokoja I deserves a candidate chosen by the people—not by political fiat.
Signed:
Ward A Aspirants and stakeholders
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