The Arewa People’s Forum, FCT Chapter, has accused the presidential candidate of the National Democratic Congress, NDC, Peter Obi, of backing an alleged plan to alter the outcome of the party’s recent primary election in the Federal Capital Territory, warning that such a move could trigger political tension and damage the party’s credibility.
In a press statement signed by Alhaji Musa Aliyu on Tuesday, the group said it was alarmed by what it described as attempts to substitute the name of Rep Hassan Ahmed Grema, who emerged as the party’s candidate for the AMAC/Bwari Federal Constituency, with that of Hon. Uchenna Harris Okonkwo, also known as Uche Harry, a serving House of Representatives member from Anambra State.
The forum claimed the alleged move would violate an existing zoning understanding within the party in the FCT, which it said was designed to reflect federal character and inclusiveness. According to the group, the senatorial ticket went to Mrs. Iyabo Pam from the South, while another FCT constituency ticket was allocated to Rep Ahmadu Sule Kamal, representing indigenous people of Abuja. It said the AMAC/Bwari slot was meant to go to a northern candidate, a process through which Grema emerged after the May 29 primary.
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Describing the alleged substitution plan as “a betrayal of internal democracy,” the APF said any effort to replace Grema after a competitive primary involving over 20 aspirants would reduce the exercise to a mere formality and disenfranchise party members who participated in good faith.
The group questioned why a lawmaker from Anambra State would be considered for a constituency in Abuja, arguing that the people of the FCT should not be subjected to what it called “backroom arrangements and elite manipulation.”
It also said any attempt to remove Grema, whom it described as a prominent voice of the Hausa community in Abuja and son of the Sarkin Hausawa of Abuja, could deepen ethnic and regional distrust within the party.
“The FCT is not an emergency rehabilitation centre for failed politicians from other parts of the country,” the statement said, insisting that electoral mandates must be earned through credibility, competence and the support of local voters.
The APF therefore called on Peter Obi and the NDC leadership to publicly distance themselves from the alleged plan and to uphold the outcome of the May 29 primaries in full. It warned that tampering with the result could have “avoidable political consequences” for the party in the FCT and beyond.
The forum said the dispute goes beyond one candidate, arguing that it touches on justice, fairness and respect for democratic procedures within political parties.
As of the time of filing this report, Peter Obi and the NDC had not publicly responded to the allegations contained in the statement.
