NDC primary: I accepted outcome, not the process — Aisha Yesufu

Social activist and politician, Aisha Yesufu, has dismissed reports suggesting that she stepped down from the Nigeria Democratic Congress senatorial primary, insisting that she contested the election to its conclusion but accepted the outcome despite what she described as a flawed process.

In a statement on Saturday, Yesufu, an ally of Peter Obi, called on media organisations to correct headlines that portrayed her acceptance of the primary outcome as a withdrawal from the race.

“My attention has been drawn to headlines across multiple media platforms characterising my acceptance of the outcome of the senatorial primary as a ‘quit’ or ‘step down.’ These headlines are factually incorrect and must be corrected,” she said.

The activist maintained that she neither withdrew from the contest nor abandoned her ambition during the exercise.

“I did not withdraw from the primary. I contested it to its conclusion. A flawed process produced a different outcome, one I consider procedurally compromised. I chose, in the interest of party unity and the larger national project, to accept that outcome rather than pursue a protracted dispute,” she stated.

According to her, accepting the outcome of the primary should not be interpreted as conceding defeat.

“That decision was strategic, not an admission of defeat. The 2027 presidential ticket is the defining contest of this electoral cycle. I am now focused entirely on ensuring the better candidate prevails on that ballot,” Yesufu said.

She urged media platforms that carried reports suggesting she stepped down to issue corrections.

“I call on all media platforms that carried the misleading framing to issue corrections. For the record, and for posterity, let it be clear: I did not step down. I fought till the end,” she added.