Opinions

2027 general election and the dangers of living Namdas in the cold

August 15, 2026

By Mohammed Ismail

Since the debacle surrounding the denial of Rt. Hon Abdurrazaq Namdas the opportunity to settle in his office over alleged vested interests ensued, the commentariat has been replete with varying opinions over what many see as a new low in the annals of governance.

But in all the commentaries and opinions expressed, none has gone down to reflect the dangers and the portents of such embarrassing episode to the electoral fortunes of the ruling party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the upcoming general election across all levels.

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The presidency through Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, has announced the appointment of Namdas as Director General Border Communities Development Agency (BCDA) on July 16, 2026, but as at the time of penning this article, the former DG of the agency, Dakorinama Alabo George, is yet to formally hand over to Namdas, allegedly due to the backing of his godfather and minister of federal capital territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike.

And what added to the spectacle is the fact that the presidential candidate of one of the main opposition political parties, African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar hails from the same constituency with Abdulrazak Namdas.

Ganye constituency, consisting of three local governments of Toungo, Ganye and Jada, which doubles as the home constituency of Atiku Abubakar is a natural battle ground between the ruling party and the ADC on the strength of Atiku’s gangling posture and strong political influence.

The fact that Atiku is on the presidential ballot is a huge obstacle for the chances of the ruling party in itself. But as if that is not enough, the ruling party seems to be deliberately creating another huge obstacle to it’s electability in the area by robbing one of the vibrant, resourceful and most versatile politicians from the zone, Abdurrazak Namdas.

One thing about the Chamba people, which is one of the biggest ethnic nationalities in Adamawa State, is their propensity to support one of their own especially in the quest for political office. Coupled with that, is the fact that Namdas who served Ganye, Jada, Toungo and Mayo Belwa federal constituency is highly cherished and revered in the constituency based on his track record of excellent performance and positive representation during his eight year stint as federal legislator.

As expected, the Chamba people represented by their elders have lived up to their billing through a clarion call for Tinubu’s administration to do the needful.

The Chamba Elders Council (CEC) represented by eminent sons during a press conference last Tuesday in Yola, pleaded with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to direct the release of the appointment letter of its illustrious son.

Although they use subtle language in their appeal for justice to one of them, the clear danger for the failure of the Tinubu administration to act on that request can never be lost to anyone who knows what Chamba people can do to defend the interest of their kith and kin.

With the current crisis rocking APC as a result of the last primary election, it will amount to a suicide for the party to go into the general election without Namdas appointment being regularized as that is a sure recipe for disastrous outing in the area.

And going by the maturity, goodwill and understanding Namdas has extended to the party after the contentious party primaries by agreeing to work for the party, it is my humble opinion that Adamawa State APC should rally round him in order to ensure that the issue is settled for good especially considering that Adamawa State which shares international borders will tremendously benefit from Namdas’ tenure.

Since the brouhaha erupted, I had waited with bated breath to hear what the governor is doing to ensure justice for Namdas in vain. Apart from the governor, other equally important stakeholders from the state whose voice will add tremendous weight to this noble cause should also wade in.

This is especially important because of the perception and insinuations that some top APC politicians from Adamawa State are the very people putting the wedge between Namdas and his appointment.

Ismail, The editor in chief of Fact-check news writes from Yola.