On Wednesday, a crowd of African Democratic Congress (ADC) members and supporters took to the streets of Yola to demonstrate against rumors suggesting the party might replace its governorship nominee, Omar Suleiman. Known locally as Omarana, Suleiman has faced recent speculation that he could be swapped for either Abdulrahman Haske or Modibbo Tukur.
Organized by the Frontier Movement 774, the protest saw participants marching through Yola with placards demanding that the party uphold its democratic process and retain their chosen candidate. The march concluded at the ADC state secretariat in Jimeta, where leadership was urged to stop interfering with the candidate selection.
Madu Umar, leader of the movement, expressed that party members are frustrated by the constant speculation, which he warned could harm the party’s stability. Another protest leader, Damaris Yalawa, reaffirmed the base’s commitment to Omarana for the 2027 election. While some participants called for presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar to intervene, no direct accusations of his involvement were made.
This protest follows warnings from party figure Suleiman Adamu Jimeta, who cautioned that substituting the candidate would likely trigger internal chaos and jeopardize the party’s electoral prospects. He dismissed the rumors as unfounded and dangerous, noting that no official communication has supported such a change.
