Ahead of the All Progressives Congress (APC) primaries, stakeholders in Wase Federal Constituency of Plateau South have rejected calls by some individuals advocating the removal of the constituency’s zoning to Bashar, an arrangement that favours former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Idris Maje.
The APC stakeholders, who addressed a press conference in Wase town on Thursday, pledged their total support for the incumbent member representing the constituency, Rt. Hon. Idris Maje, to contest the forthcoming party primaries.
The meeting, according to the stakeholders, became necessary following a rally allegedly organised on Wednesday in Wase by a group calling for the constituency’s seat to be zoned away from Bashar to allow another APC member to replace Maje.
Speaking shortly after the meeting, the stakeholders’ secretary, Alhaji Musa Saad, said discussions centred on concerns raised by some former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) members who recently defected to the APC. The defectors, he noted, are agitating that Maje should not be allowed to contest the 2027 elections, arguing that he has held the position for multiple terms.
Prominent stakeholders, including Alhaji Abdullahi Salihu, Alhaji Musa Sa’ad, Abdullahi Useni Sadiq, Mrs. Lokya James, Hamisu Suleiman, and Ali Nuhu, all opposed the calls, insisting that Maje remains the most qualified and widely accepted candidate.
They commended Maje’s legislative efforts and dedication to improving the lives of his constituents, noting that his representation has attracted numerous federal government establishments to Wase Federal Constituency.
Speaking further, Musa Sa’ad, chairman of defectors into the APC, dismissed those calling for a realignment of the zoning arrangement as insignificant, expressing confidence that Maje would be re-elected to the House of Representatives in 2027.
According to the stakeholders, Maje facilitated over 8,000 pensionable federal government jobs, drilled about 400 boreholes across the constituency, and contributed to the establishment of a police academy and a study centre of the National Open University in Wase, among other ongoing projects.
Musa Sa’ad also revealed that the stakeholders have mobilised membership from the PDP into the APC, increasing the party’s strength from an initial 600 to about 17,000 members, in a bid to secure victory for Maje and other APC candidates in 2027.
Meanwhile, it was gathered that a minor disturbance occurred before the conclusion of the meeting, as some youths protested against the continued zoning of the seat to Bashar. Security operatives, however, intervened and used minimal force to disperse the crowd.
He added that both the Nigerian Constitution and the APC constitution, as well as the 2022 Electoral Act, permit Rt. Hon. Idris Maje to seek re-election beyond 2027.
