The Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Jibrin Barau, has urged aspirants who lost out in the All Progressives Congress’ 2027 primary elections to accept the outcome and work for the party’s victory at the general elections.
He made the appeal on Tuesday while inaugurating the Kano North Senatorial District Campaign Council for the 2027 elections.
His Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ismail Mudashir, disclosed this in a statement made available to journalists in Abuja.
The inauguration was attended by APC leaders, members of the campaign council and supporters from across the Kano North Senatorial District.
The Deputy Senate President said the APC could not afford divisions arising from its primary elections, urging those who secured the party’s tickets to work with their fellow aspirants who were unsuccessful.
Barau said the ultimate goal should be the victory of the party and its candidates in the general elections.
He said, “The primaries are over. All members remain part of the same political family, APC. It is normal for politicians to compete for party tickets in a democracy. I urge those who emerged victorious to work with those who contested but did not secure the tickets.
“You can see that many of those who contested the primaries but did not secure the tickets are here today. They understand that the party belongs to all of us, and that the victory of the party is ultimately their own victory.”
The appeal comes against the backdrop of intense competition for party tickets ahead of the 2027 general elections, with primary contests expected to leave some aspirants disappointed and potentially create fresh challenges for party cohesion.
Barau said the presence of some defeated aspirants at the inauguration demonstrated their commitment to the APC despite the outcome of the primaries.
He also charged the campaign council to mobilise support across the 13 local government areas of the Kano North Senatorial District for President Bola Tinubu, himself, Kano State Governor, Abba Kabir Yusuf, and other APC candidates.
Inaugurating the council in Kano, Barau said the campaign structure was designed to accommodate all party stakeholders, including those at the ward, local government and senatorial district levels.
“This is an all-inclusive arrangement. Everybody is involved, and all stakeholders are part and parcel of this council. This has always been our system, and it is one of the reasons we have continued to succeed in Kano North. This election will not be an exception, by God’s grace,” Barau said.
He urged members of the council to go into the communities and mobilise voters for all APC candidates, from the presidential election to the state House of Assembly polls.
The campaign council is chaired by the Managing Director of the Hadeja Jama’are River Basin Development Authority and former Secretary to the Kano State Government, Rabiu Bichi.
In his response, Bichi said the council would work for all APC candidates, stressing that its campaign would cover the presidential, senatorial, House of Representatives and state House of Assembly elections.
He described Barau as a strong and sellable candidate whose interventions and contributions had left visible footprints across Kano State.
Bichi said the council comprised seasoned politicians and grassroots mobilisers, expressing confidence that its members would work together to secure the highest possible number of votes for the APC in Kano North and beyond.
He also assured Barau that members of the committee would work tirelessly to mobilise the electorate and secure victory for the party in the forthcoming elections.