By David AFOLABI
“I did not quit, I did not drop out of the race. I stayed to the end,”
Human rights activist and former Federal Capital Territory senatorial aspirant under the National Democratic Coalition (NDC), Aisha Yesufu, has alleged that the party’s primary election in Abuja was manipulated and predetermined, claiming that the process was ultimately decided behind closed doors rather than through a transparent democratic contest.
In a statement titled “On the Record: NDC Primaries… A Better Abuja Is Inevitable,” Yesufu dismissed suggestions that she withdrew from the race, insisting that she remained in the contest until the end.
“I did not quit, I did not drop out of the race. I stayed to the end,” she said.
The activist, however, disclosed that she would not challenge the outcome of the exercise in court despite what she described as a deeply flawed process.
According to her, the Abuja senatorial primary was never conducted in a manner consistent with democratic principles and the party’s own guidelines.
“What was billed as a primary was, in truth, a predetermined outcome dressed in procedural formalities,” Yesufu alleged.
She claimed that the exercise was repeatedly postponed, venues were changed at the last minute, and procedures initially communicated to aspirants and party members were altered without adequate explanation.
According to her, a delegate-based system was eventually introduced and conducted at a central location rather than through direct primaries at local government headquarters as originally anticipated.
“When the moment came, the contest was not decided by delegates in the open; it was affirmed in a closed room, away from the people whose voices it was supposed to reflect,” she stated.
While acknowledging that the party might defend the process as free and fair, Yesufu argued that the events surrounding the primary did not reflect justice or fairness when measured against the spirit of democratic participation and electoral guidelines.
The former aspirant said she entered politics because she believed meaningful societal change required active participation in governance and policymaking rather than remaining solely in the advocacy space.
“I came into politics from a deep conviction that to drive the transformation we hope to see, it is not enough to complain from the outside. You must step into the ring with your convictions and fight to get into the positions where decisions are made with the weight of the law,” she said.
Yesufu noted that she was fully aware of the challenges associated with Nigeria’s political system but maintained that she deliberately chose not to compromise her principles.
“I did not leave advocacy to go into politics. I took advocacy into politics,” she added.
Despite her disappointment with the outcome, she expressed pride in the campaign her team built across the Federal Capital Territory, describing it as a genuine grassroots movement driven by volunteers and ordinary residents.
She said her campaign’s volunteer network, which she called “SAY-Nation,” successfully mobilised support across wards and communities in Abuja.
“Our ground game was on point. We had grassroots credibility, the kind you don’t manufacture in a backroom,” she stated.
According to her, the strength of the movement may have contributed to efforts to move the process away from open competition.
“The process had to be taken out of the open and resolved through a clandestine affirmation behind closed doors,” she alleged.
Explaining why she chose not to escalate the matter through litigation or internal party disputes, Yesufu said she had gained valuable insight into the realities of Nigeria’s political system.
“I ran to win. But when the process was subverted, I made a choice: I would not exhaust myself in a grievance process designed to wear people down,” she said.
She added that the experience provided her with a deeper understanding of political structures and power dynamics than any academic study or external observation could offer.
The activist stressed that her comments were limited to her experience in the FCT senatorial primary and should not be interpreted as an assessment of primaries conducted in other states.
“It is important to note that this account reflects my experience in the Abuja FCT Senatorial race. It does not speak to what transpired in other states,” she said.
Despite her criticism of the process, Yesufu maintained that the NDC remains a viable political platform, particularly because it has provided what she described as the “better presidential candidate” for the 2027 general election.
She expressed appreciation to party members working to strengthen the platform while insisting that internal reforms remained necessary.
Looking beyond the failed senatorial bid, Yesufu unveiled what appears to be a long-term political project aimed at transforming governance in the Federal Capital Territory.
Declaring that “A Better Abuja Is Inevitable,” she announced the emergence of the #ABetterAbuja2031 movement and signalled her intention to remain active in politics.
“This is not the end. What we built—the network, the credibility, the grassroots trust—cannot be taken away in a backroom,” she said.
“The forces that tried to silence this movement have only confirmed its potency. I am not going anywhere. And neither is the idea that Abuja deserves better.”
