By The Pioneer News Editorial Board
The recent interview by Barrister AT Shehu, Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Adamawa State, over the outcome of the Ganye State Constituency bye-election, has left many observers baffled. Instead of honest introspection, Barrister Shehu chose to peddle excuses, shifting blame to security agencies, vote-buying, and alleged intimidation. But as The Pioneer News has discovered after speaking with APC stalwarts, his claims are hollow, self-contradictory, and a desperate attempt to mask personal failure.
A Chairman Who Cannot Keep His Word
It is worth reminding Barrister Shehu of his own vow. Before the bye-election, he emphatically declared that if PDP failed to win Ganye, he would resign both as state chairman and from politics altogether. Yet today, instead of honouring his words, he resorts to baseless accusations. In politics, integrity is everything. A leader who breaks his promise so brazenly has no moral standing to lead a party, let alone lecture the public about democracy.
The chairman’s narrative deliberately ignores political reality. In the 2023 general elections, PDP swept across Adamawa but failed in Ganye. APC convincingly won both the governorship and the House of Assembly seat there. The bye-election only reaffirmed what the people had already decided—Ganye remains firmly an APC stronghold. If PDP could not win there in 2023 despite its statewide dominance, why pretend that 2025 Ganye local government constituency state House of assembly bye-elections was “stolen”?
One of the chairman’s weak excuses is that Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri promised to repair the long-abandoned Ganye road just before the bye-election. This, far from being a defence, is an indictment. Why wait until the eve of a poll to remember a project that has been neglected for years? The people saw through the ploy. For a government that ignored Ganye after losing there in 2023, the sudden promise of development was too little, too late. APC connected with the people where PDP failed.
Blame Games Do Not Win Elections
Barrister Shehu’s allegations of vote-buying, security intimidation, and ballot snatching collapse under scrutiny. If APC truly “rigged” the election, why could he not even deliver his own polling unit? Politics begins at home. A chairman rejected in his immediate community has no justification to claim victory elsewhere. Moreover, the PDP itself has benefited from the presence of security agencies in past elections; crying foul only when the tide turns is the trademark of sore losers.
Stakeholders Betrayed, APC Reclaimed Them
One undeniable truth is that PDP abandoned its own loyal foot soldiers after the 2023 elections. Stakeholders who sacrificed resources and energy for the party were sidelined in government appointments. Disappointed and disillusioned, many found refuge in APC’s open arms just weeks before the bye-election. APC capitalized on PDP’s arrogance and reclaimed its base. That is strategy, not rigging.
The result of the Ganye bye-election is not in doubt. It reflects the will of the people, not the excuses of a defeated chairman. APC earned its victory through grassroots mobilization, reconnecting with the people, and delivering a message of credibility. PDP’s downfall was self-inflicted—broken promises, poor leadership, and neglect.
Our Verdict: Time To Go
Excuses are the last refuge of the defeated. Barrister AT Shehu must now face reality. His leadership has failed, his credibility has collapsed, and his word is in tatters. The honourable step is clear: he should resign, just as he promised, instead of insulting the intelligence of Adamawa people with fanciful tales. Allegation that APC distributed fertilizers, wrappers, and money only betrays PDP’s weakness. Elections are not won merely by handouts but by trust and credibility. If the people of Ganye truly loved PDP, no amount of inducement would have swayed them. Indeed, evidence shows that the grassroots had already turned their backs on PDP weeks before the poll, largely due to the governor’s neglect and the absence of meaningful appointments for loyal stakeholders who labored for PDP’s victory in 2023. APC did not need to “snatch” what had already been freely given to it by the people.
The people of Ganye have spoken loudly. They rejected neglect, they rejected arrogance, and they reaffirmed their trust in APC. Democracy is about the will of the people—not the excuses of politicians.
PIONEER NEWS 