By Moses Okorie
The minister of Special Duties and Inter-Governmental Affairs, Honourable Zephaniah Jisalo has denied endorsing the purported consensus arrangement of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in respect of its preferred candidate for the 2027 senatorial election.
Jisalo, speaking through a disclaimer signed and issued on Thursday in Abuja by one of his aides, Sunday Dangiwa, the general public was urged to dismiss the media report, saying it emanated from the camp of Senator Philip Aduda, and those not represent the general view of the major stakeholders of the party.
Dangiwa said Jisalo, as the only minister from the FCT, is currently the leader of the party in the state, and no consensus arrangement can be done without his endorsement.
The disclaimer reads: “The attention of the public has been drawn to false and misleading information circulating on social media alleging that His Excellency, Hon. Zephaniah B. Jisalo, has agreed to a consensus arrangement within the FCT APC.
“We wish to clearly state that this information is completely FALSE, FAKE, and MISLEADING, and should be disregarded by members of the party and the general public.
“His Excellency, Hon. Zephaniah B. Jisalo, has not entered into or agreed to any consensus arrangement whatsoever.
“Therefore, Senator Philip Aduda and all other aspirants are advised to prepare for the party primaries and test their popularity democratically, in line with the directive of the National Chairman of the APC.
“The APC remains a democratic party guided by fairness, transparency, and due process.”
Speaking to NationsPride on Thursday, Dangiwa said his principal cannot be taken for granted by those who are in the party for their self-aggrandizement.
You may recall that Senator Philip Aduda represented the FCT in the Upper Chambers of the National Assembly on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) until 2023 when he was defeated by Senator Ireti Kingibe of the Labour Party.
Aduda is now seeking to return to the senate through the APC to displace Ireti.