A fresh political storm is brewing within the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as party members and stakeholders have raised serious concerns over an alleged attempt to impose Hon. John Gabaya as a party candidate despite claims that no valid primary election was conducted and that he is not a registered member of the party.
The controversy intensified following the emergence of documents and testimonies from party insiders alleging that Gabaya’s name does not appear in the certified APC membership register of Igu Ward, the ward where he is reportedly expected to be registered.
According to party sources familiar with the development, a detailed review of the official ward register revealed no record of his membership. Under the provisions of the APC Constitution and the Electoral Act, ward-level membership remains a fundamental requirement for any aspirant seeking nomination or sponsorship under the platform of the party.
Sources within the party further disclosed that no supplementary records or official documentation have been identified to establish his membership status, raising questions about the legality of any attempt to present him as a party candidate.
The situation has been further complicated by allegations that no APC primary election was conducted in either AMAC or Bwari to produce Gabaya as a candidate.
Party members alleged that efforts are currently underway by certain interests within the party structure to generate and publish results portraying him as the winner of a primary election that never took place.
Political observers note that Section 84 of the Electoral Act requires political parties to conduct valid democratic primaries, subject to monitoring by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), before candidates can be validly nominated for elections.
Reacting to the development, a prominent APC stakeholder and leader within the FCT, Alhaji Mohammed Umar, issued a strong warning to the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) during an emergency briefing in Abuja.
Umar warned that any attempt to ignore the concerns being raised could expose the party to significant legal and political consequences ahead of the 2027 general elections.
“We are raising this alarm because we love this party and we cannot sit fold-armed while a few individuals walk us into a clear booby trap,” Umar said.
“Go and look at the register for Igu Ward right now. The name Hon. John Gabaya is completely missing. He is not a registered APC member. On top of that, everyone in Bwari and AMAC knows that no primary election took place.”
He further cautioned that presenting the name of a non-member as the winner of what he described as a non-existent primary election could create a major legal crisis for the party.
“If the NWC goes ahead to publish the name of a non-member as the winner of a ghost primary, they are signing our political death warrant for APC as a party at the 2027 general elections,” he added.
As of the time of filing this report, the APC National Working Committee had not issued an official response to the allegations, while party members across the FCT continue to demand transparency and strict adherence to the party constitution and electoral guidelines.
The unfolding dispute is expected to test the unity of the ruling party in the FCT and could potentially trigger legal challenges if the concerns raised by stakeholders remain unresolved.