From Umar Dankano, Yola
Ahead of the 2027 General elections,the All Progressives Congress (APC) has formed a high powered 46-Man committee known as “The Adamawa Progressive elders Council” saddles with the responsibility for internal democracy and reconciliation of aggrieved party members in Adamawa state.
Spokesman of the Council, Comrade Ahmad Sajoh disclosed the development during a press conference in Yola highlighting that the council was a child of necessity born out of the need to strengthen cohesion and team work in the party
Sajoh who was a former Commissioner of information and strategy in the state added that the formation of the group became fruitful after a serious consultations and midwifing among the top calibre of APC figures at the national as well as the state levels.
Sajoh noted that the council has the blessing of the leader of the party in the state who he said convened a select meeting in Abuja November 6th where the issue of the council took centre stage.
He added that the platform would serve as a stabilization hub or force for the party in Adamawa urging the public to disregard rumours indicating that the formation of the council was done with ulterior motives
According to him, the forum, now formally named the Adamawa Progressive Elders Council, draws membership from former governors, formers senators, serving and former ministers, veteran party leaders and respected community elders across the 21 local government areas of the state.
”The formation of the council is the brain child of the leader of the party in the state. According to the vice chairman of the council, Senator Abubakar Halilu Girei who briefed members during the inaugural meeting on Saturday 15 Nov, the formation of the council was in fulfillment of the recommendations of the APC reconciliation committee which was headed by late Sen. Muhammad Mana.
”According to Girei, the idea behind the establishment of the Adamawa Progressive Elders Council stems from the report of the Adamawa State APC reconciliation committee which made far reaching recommendations including the establishment of the elders forum,” Sajoh said.
He noted that the new council was created in line with the provisions of the APC constitution, specifically Article 13.8(vi), which empowers the State Working Committee to set up committees that promote the party’s interests, and Article 7(i), which identifies unity, political stability and national consciousness as core objectives of the party stressing that
these constitutional mandates form the legal backbone of the council’s operations.
Providing context for the initiative, Sajoh recalled the APC’s experiences in the 2019 and 2023 election cycles, describing them as periods of internal disarray.
He said that the absence of a strong conflict-resolution mechanism led to fragmentation after primary elections, ultimately costing the party the governorship and other strategic positions.
“We broke away and fought ourselves” he lamented, adding that party elders were determined to prevent a repetition of such setbacks in 2027.