By: Joy Musa
In a startling revelation that has sent shockwaves through the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Bauchi State, Comrade Aliyu Illelah, the party’s candidate for the Bauchi State House of Assembly in the 2023 elections, has openly criticized the state party leadership, accusing them of anti-party activities, mismanagement of resources, and political sabotage.
Speaking in an exclusive interview, Illelah accused the embattled Bauchi State APC Chairman of gross misconduct and undermining the very foundation of the party. According to him, the party chairman had been removed by a court ruling and therefore lacks the legitimacy to continue parading himself in the position.
“The court has already removed him. He should respect the rule of law and stop parading himself as the chairman. Until a final judgment is made, he has no legal right to act in that capacity,” Illelah stated.
The former assembly candidate went further to accuse some key stakeholders within the Bauchi APC of misappropriating animals that were donated for distribution to party loyalists and members of the public for the recent Sallah celebration.
“Some of our supposed leaders have shamelessly stolen the animals meant for the people during Sallah. This is not just corruption it is heartless and a betrayal of public trust,” he lamented.
In a more damning allegation, Illelah claimed that a faction of the party in Bauchi collected N10 million from a serving APC lawmaker in Abuja to stage a press conference aimed at further tarnishing the image of the party and demoralizing its loyal members.
“This is the level of sabotage we are dealing with. People who claim to represent the APC are collecting money just to tear it down from within. It’s shameful and unacceptable,” he added.
Illelah reiterated his and his supporters’ stance to boycott any efforts to mobilize for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s re-election bid, citing a continued pattern of irresponsible behavior by party leaders as their reason.
“We cannot, in good conscience, work for the re-election of Tinubu or any APC candidate while our party is being hijacked by those with no regard for discipline, unity, or loyalty,” he said.
He concluded his remarks with a warning to the APC Youth Leader in the state, whom he accused of planning to disrupt political activities aligned with his faction. Illelah stressed that his group remains committed to peace and democratic engagement, emphasizing that violence has no place in modern politics.
“We are law-abiding citizens. We will not tolerate any attempt to instigate violence against us. Only political illiterates resort to violence in this 21st century when dialogue and lawful resistance are available,” he warned.
The internal turmoil within the Bauchi APC comes at a critical time as the party gears up for future elections. The national leadership of the APC is yet to issue a formal response to the explosive allegations.
