MEND THE FENCES: Shema Urges APC Primary Winners to Placate Aggrieved Aspirants

DUTSIN-MA — Former Governor of Katsina State, Ibrahim Shehu Shema, has called on victorious candidates in the recently concluded All Progressives Congress (APC) primary elections to swiftly initiate reconciliation with fellow aspirants who lost their tickets.

​Shema emphasized that proactive engagement and inclusivity are vital to securing a unified front and ensuring the party’s success in future general elections.

​He made the remarks on Saturday shortly after casting his vote at Shema Ward in the Dutsinma Local Government Area during the APC presidential primary, where party members gathered to ratify the sole candidacy of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for a second term.

​Post-Primary Grievances Normal

​Acknowledging that internal friction is an inevitable part of competitive politics, Shema—who co-chairs the Katsina APC Reconciliation and Consensus Committee alongside his successor, former Governor Aminu Bello Masari—stressed that how grievances are managed determines a party’s long-term stability.

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​”To all those who won primary elections, they must reach out to those who lost, work with them, placate them, accommodate them, and encourage them to support the party,” Shema stated.

​”There are pockets of issues here and there. It is human. There is no human activity or human organization that is without any issue. There will always be issues, but how you go about resolving them is very important. I believe reconciliation should start not just with the committee or government, but even those who won those seats from the primary elections.”

​The former governor also admonished defeated aspirants against abandoning the party, noting that a single electoral setback does not signal the end of a political career.

​”As long as you remain in the party and fight for the party, you eventually get something, maybe even better than the seat you’re looking for,” he added.

​Consensus and a Smooth Affirmation

​The state chapter of the APC had previously adopted a strategic consensus framework to minimize friction across its 34 local government areas. Despite localized tensions—including concerns raised during some legislative primary exercises earlier in the week—the presidential affirmation process across Katsina remained broadly orderly.

​”It was conducted freely and fairly,” Shema remarked concerning the Dutsin-Ma exercise. “We have only one sole candidate, so there is no need for arguments, rancor, or misgivings. By the grace of Allah, President Tinubu will still emerge as the next president of Nigeria to serve a second term.”

​Echoing his views, the National Coordinator of the African Union Development Agency–New Partnership for Africa’s Development (AUDA-NEPAD) and former Chief of Staff to the Katsina State Governor, Abdullahi Jabiru Tsauri, lauded the high turnout of party delegates across the state.

​Tsauri attributed the significant participation to the visible impact of federal and state developmental projects under the current administration. He expressed strong optimism that the momentum generated during these primaries would seamlessly carry the ruling party to victory in the 2027 general elections.