Peter Obi wanted Aisha Yesufu to run for Reps, but she chose Senate — NDC
NDC Official: Peter Obi Preferred Aisha Yesufu for House of Representatives
The National Secretary of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Ikenna Enekweizu, revealed on Wednesday that presidential candidate Peter Obi had preferred activist Aisha Yesufu to run for the House of Representatives instead of the Senate seat for the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
Enekweizu made the statement during an appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today, addressing the controversy surrounding Yesufu’s candidacy in the party’s primaries.
He indicated that discussions between Obi and party leaders focused on consensus-building for the AMAC/Gwari federal constituency seat after Obi joined the party. “When Peter Obi joined the party, part of what we wanted to do was to allow him to help us build consensus around our candidate for the AMAC/Gwari seat,” Enekweizu said.
The NDC secretary noted that Obi personally expressed his desire for Yesufu to contest for the House of Representatives. However, shortly after this conversation, Enekweizu was surprised when Yesufu announced her intention to run for the Senate.
“The national leader of the party invited Aisha Yesufu and met with her twice, appealing to her to run for the House of Representatives,” Enekweizu explained. Despite these efforts, Yesufu opted to pursue the Senate candidacy, stating she believed she was “bigger than the reps office.”
Ultimately, Enekweizu confirmed that Yesufu lost the primary election and advised her to utilize the party’s internal dispute-resolution mechanisms if she felt aggrieved. “A lot of people who lost primaries in other constituencies have been reaching out to us,” he said.
He also addressed claims of unfair treatment towards Yesufu, emphasizing that she was not the only supporter of Obi to contest for the same position. “Twenty-three aspirants bought the expression of interest and nomination form. How do we manage them all?” he asked.
Enekweizu’s comments followed the NDC National Leader Seriake Dickson’s announcement that the party had offered Yesufu a House of Representatives ticket, which she ultimately declined in favor of running for the Senate in the 2027 elections.
