Six governorship aspirants on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Yobe State, on Saturday met with Vice President Kashim Shettima over the controversy surrounding the party’s succession arrangement ahead of the 2027 governorship election.

The group comprises; Hon. Muhammad Ibrahim Bomai, Yobe South Senator, Lawan Kolo Geidam, former DG NEMA: Engr. Mustapha Maihaja.

Others are; former Inspector General of Police Usman Alkali Baba, Kashim Musa Tumba and Bashir Machina.

Daily Trust gathered that the closed-door meeting was held at the Vice President’s residence in Abuja amid rising tension over the endorsement of former Secretary to the State Government, Baba Malam Wali, as the preferred APC governorship candidate.

Discussions at the meeting centred on finding a peaceful and acceptable resolution to the dispute generated by the alleged adoption of Wali.

The Vice President urged members of the group known as G-6 to reconsider their opposition to the arrangement and embrace dialogue in the interest of unity and stability within the party.

In a communiqué issued after the meeting, the aspirants described the discussions as fruitful, saying consultations would continue towards resolving the issue amicably.

“The meeting discussed the current situation on the selection of the APC gubernatorial candidate for Yobe State and the need to find a workable solution,” the communiqué stated.

It added that the Vice President appealed to the group to review its position on the choice of Baba Malam Wali as the preferred APC governorship candidate for the state.

The communiqué further noted that the aspirants agreed to continue consultations with stakeholders to ensure either a consensus arrangement acceptable to all aspirants or the conduct of peaceful direct primaries.

“We agreed to continue further exploratory discussions towards an acceptable consensus process involving all the seven aspirants or peaceful direct primaries in the interest of the people of Yobe State,” the statement added.

The group also commended Shettima for what it described as his neutrality and commitment towards resolving the matter peacefully.

The APC succession debate in Yobe has in recent weeks generated intense political interest, with stakeholders divided over the mode of selecting the party’s governorship candidate ahead of the 2027 elections. (Weekend Trust)