REASONS APC MUST DISMANTLE OLD CARGO CABAL & ELECT BATHLIYA WESLEY IN 2027.

PHOTO: Hon Bathliya Wesley, Speaker Adamawa State House of Assembly.

By Maliki Salaudeen

The trajectory of democratic governance in Adamawa State is currently under severe threat as the 2027 governorship election looms. The electorate is facing a brutal choice: solidly endorse a candidate with an indisputable, grassroots track record, or surrender the state to the regressive, backroom political manoeuvres that have chronically suffocated true development.

To fully grasp the sinister nature of the current political machinations ahead of the election cycle, one must brutally examine the historical hypocrisy of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP). At its genesis, the party publicly proclaimed it would permanently eradicate the imposition of candidates across all tiers of government.

This initial objective was ostensibly designed to guarantee that the electorate would be given authentic, accountable representatives. It was pitched as a necessary structural safeguard to prevent the internal strife and vicious factionalism that inevitably destroy political parties from the inside out.

However, this democratic promise was a sham. The imposition of candidates quickly devolved into the party’s standard, unapologetic operating procedure. For nearly the entirety of its 16-year stranglehold on power from 1999 to 2015, the PDP routinely dictated electoral outcomes from the top down.

During this dark political era, the practice of violently forcing unpopular candidates upon the masses was most vociferous and damaging at the state and local government levels. The genuine political aspirations of the people were routinely slaughtered to appease a select group of political elites.

This arrogant disenfranchisement and unrelenting subversion of the democratic will ultimately led to the PDP’s spectacular downfall, forcing them out of power by the current All Progressives Congress (APC). The electorate demanded a total departure from the tyrannical silencing of their voices.

Yet, an alarming political amnesia seems to be taking root in Adamawa State. Under the current APC framework, the exact same dictatorial spectre of candidate imposition that defined the previous era now threatens to hijack the upcoming electoral process.

As the party prepares for its forthcoming Convention—the precursor to the primary elections scheduled between the 23rd of April and the 30th of May—there is intense and justified paranoia regarding the total lack of transparency in how candidates will be chosen.

Reports are already exposing the opaque alignments and realignments being aggressively orchestrated at both the state and local government levels. These clandestine dealings are deliberately designed to assassinate the ambitions of true, hardworking grassroots politicians before the voters even have a say.

The primary target of this orchestrated political sabotage is the current Speaker of the Adamawa State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Bathliya Wesley. Since 2019, he has meticulously and effectively represented the Hong Constituency, proving his absolute competence in legislative leadership and community development.

The facts on the ground are undeniable: this dynamic young leader commands the deep respect of His Excellency, Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri. This executive endorsement is not merely symbolic; it is a powerful testament to Wesley’s political maturity and his readiness to seamlessly take over the executive mantle.

Furthermore, Speaker Wesley enjoys the fierce and unwavering backing of his fellow legislative colleagues in the state assembly. Their consensus on his 2027 governorship bid exposes him as a unifier—a stark contrast to the divisive figures currently plotting against him.

Tragically, this organic, widespread support has triggered a vicious backlash from a deeply entrenched political cabal. A clique of “old cargo” politicians, deeply threatened by his transparent, results-oriented style of leadership, has launched a campaign to derail his governorship aspirations.

This retrogressive opposition is heavily concentrated amongst bitter detractors from within his own local government, alongside a handful of rival aspirants who know they cannot defeat him in a free and fair contest.

In a desperate bid to maintain their grip on power, these detractors are cynically perfecting the manipulation of the APC’s “Direct Primaries” and “Consensus” models. They are actively weaponising these internal party mechanisms to engineer Wesley’s defeat and force their own lackeys onto the ballot.

The APC national and state hierarchy must be brutally honest about the consequences of these actions. If the party permits this daylight robbery of the people’s mandate in 2027, Adamawa will miserably miss out on a governor of Wesley’s immense potential and be forced to endure the catastrophic failure of a wrong choice.

While his opponents scheme in the shadows, Hon. Bathliya Wesley’s infrastructural track record in the Hong Constituency stands as unassailable proof of his capacity. He single-handedly drove the drilling of an 8,000-capacity overhead tank solar borehole at Kala’a, delivering immediate relief to the populace.

He relentlessly replicated this success, delivering another 8,000-capacity overhead tank solar borehole at Anguwan Jauro Sule Hong, while simultaneously leveraging his political capital to lobby for an identical facility at Kwatau.

Refusing to ignore the deepest rural enclaves, the Speaker facilitated the drilling of more than 34 critical hand pump boreholes. These life-saving interventions transformed communities including Makera, Kwanan Kuka, Fadama Rake, Kwakwah, Dzumah, Uding, Kukurpu, Anguwan Gada Pella, Sabon Pegi Pella, and Anguwan Madi.

This aggressive push for essential water infrastructure also directly liberated Mail Tara, Mail Bakwai, Bayan Kasuwa Hong, Faci, Munga, Mombol, Midila, Mbwalwa, and Mbolnyi from chronic water scarcity, proving his methodical dedication to grassroots survival.

Furthermore, exposing the wasteful nature of his predecessors, Speaker Wesley took the financially responsible step of overhauling more than 350 abandoned hand pump boreholes across the Hong Constituency. He resurrected a dead motorised borehole at Filin Idi Hong, fought for a new pump at the Anguwan Usaku Block, and drilled a high-power solar facility in Dagza. Finally, in April 2024, he funded the vital conversion of the Mbalwaha Central Water facility from a failing electric system to a modern solar grid. The APC must unequivocally reject the manipulative “old cargo” politicians and allow this proven performer to lead Adamawa in 2027.

Mr SALAUDEEN sent this piece from Jambutu, Jimeta-Yola.