Adamawa’s chapter of the All Progressives Congress is tightening its internal machinery, rebuilding trust and sharpening its democratic processes as it moves to reclaim the state in the 2027 general elections. Senator Abubakar Halilu Girei, one of the party’s influential voices, says the work is deliberate, structured and already reducing the cracks that cost the APC previous victories.
He told reporters in Abuja that the party now prioritises unity, inclusiveness and transparent contests, adding that no aspirant will be sidelined as the party prepares for congresses and primaries. According to him, the APC is setting up a system that creates order and restores confidence among members who felt alienated in past cycles.
Sen. Girei traced this renewed discipline to the recommendations of the Sen. Mana Reconciliation Committee, which he served on. He said the committee found that internal disagreements, not lack of popular support, pushed the party into defeat in 2019 and 2023. The new Elders Council, he explained, emerged from those findings and has now become the backbone of the reconciliation and unity drive.
He described the council as a forum of respected leaders tasked with listening, guiding, stabilising the party and ensuring that no one feels shut out of the process. The convener held the council’s maiden meeting on 6 November 2025, drawing almost its entire membership. Girei said the impressive turnout underscored the desire among stakeholders to end old rivalries and return the party to winning ways.
He noted that the party leader in Adamawa blessed the formation of the council and helped select its members, contrary to claims that the council would weaken his influence or limit his ability to back aspirants. Girei dismissed the speculation as mischief designed to create suspicion where none exists. He insisted the party leader remains central to the effort to stabilise the APC in the state.
He also rejected rumours that he is sponsoring a little-known figure named Abbah Kawu to undermine any preferred aspirant. He said he does not know the individual and considers the story a product of fake news. He added that several colleagues reached out to him seeking clarity because the name is unfamiliar within Adamawa’s political space.
On the rising wave of defections to the APC, Girei said the movement reflects internal crises within rival parties rather than any plan to turn Nigeria into a one-party state. He pointed to lingering leadership disputes within the PDP, including legal battles that cast doubt on the stability of its national convention.
He argued that many Nigerians are aligning with the APC because they see improvements in governance under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. He said the government’s reforms are beginning to restore economic confidence and strengthen institutions, which in turn makes the ruling party more attractive.
Girei maintains that the APC is not forcing dominance but winning new supporters on merit. As the Elders Council settles into its work, he believes the party will enter 2027 more united, more disciplined and ready to deliver sweeping victories across Adamawa.
That was Senator Abubakar Halilu Girei speaking on the state of the APC, its internal recalibration and its prospects as another election cycle draws near.
