A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Niger State, Jonathan Tsado Vatsa, has warned that the imposition of unpopular candidates under the guise of consensus could spell disaster for the ruling party ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Vatsa cautioned that attempts by the APC at the local, state and national levels to sideline the electorate in candidate selection may provoke voter backlash and weaken the party’s chances at the polls.
Speaking with journalists on the unfolding political developments in Niger State and across the country, the former Commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism criticised what he described as “anti-people arrangements” being promoted in the name of consensus.
According to him, the approach allegedly being adopted by Governor Mohammed Umar Bago and party leaders in selecting candidates without considering the feelings of the people could drive voters towards alternative political platforms.
He warned that Nigerians would resist any effort to undermine democratic processes through imposed candidacies.
“Attempts by the APC at the local, state and national levels to prevent seamless political processes will only spell doom for the party because the people will wait for them at the polling units,” he said.
Vatsa, who also served as APC Publicity Secretary in Niger State, maintained that politics should reflect the will of the people rather than the interests of a few political actors.
“You can only rig elections when the people are with you,” he stated.
He stressed that Nigerians must be allowed to freely choose their leaders at all levels through transparent democratic processes, adding that underperforming leaders should be voted out.
“Non-performing leaders should not have a place in the political space in 2027. People should be allowed to vote such leaders out at the local, state and national levels,” he said.
Commenting on the crisis rocking opposition parties, Vatsa alleged that deliberate efforts were being made to weaken opposition platforms in order to create a one-party state.
According to him, such actions pose a threat to Nigeria’s democracy.
“When you strangulate opposition parties to create a one-party state, you are inviting serious anarchy. People will resist it because one-party state is not in our constitution; it is alien to our politics,” he warned.
Vatsa further argued that the APC’s current political challenges were self-inflicted due to what he described as wrong decisions taken in the past.
“The APC enmeshed itself by taking some wrong decisions and that is why we find ourselves in this desperate situation,” he said.
He also lamented the economic situation in the country, saying that despite huge government revenues under the APC administration, many Nigerians were yet to feel the impact.
“There is excess money, but still high excess poverty in the land,” he added.
