Activist Aisha Yesufu has called on media organisations to correct reports suggesting that she withdrew or stepped down from the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) senatorial primary election for the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), insisting that she contested the race to the very end.
In a statement released on Saturday, Yesufu described headlines portraying her as having “quit” or “stepped down” from the contest as inaccurate and misleading.
According to her, she neither withdrew from the race nor voluntarily relinquished her ambition, but participated fully in the primary election process until its conclusion.
“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 stated.
Yesufu explained that while the primary produced a winner, she considered the process flawed and procedurally compromised. However, she chose to accept the outcome rather than engage in a prolonged dispute that could destabilise the party.
“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,” she said.
“I chose, in the interest of party unity and the larger national project, to accept that outcome rather than pursue a protracted dispute.”
The activist stressed that her decision should not be interpreted as an admission of defeat, describing it instead as a strategic choice aimed at preserving unity within the party ahead of the 2027 general election.
“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,” she added.
In a Facebook post accompanying the statement, Yesufu reiterated that she fought for the senatorial ticket until the end and rejected any narrative suggesting otherwise.
“To all media houses — I did not quit. I did not step down. Correct your headline,” she wrote.
“I fought for my senatorial ticket to the very end. A flawed primary was conducted and someone else was declared. I reject the narrative that I ‘quit’.”
She maintained that accepting the outcome was a deliberate decision taken for the greater good of the party and the country, particularly with the 2027 presidential election approaching.
“What I did was choose, for the greater good of the party and the nation, to accept a flawed outcome rather than tear the NDC apart when a bigger fight looms,” she said.
According to Yesufu, the presidential election remains the most important political contest in the current electoral cycle, and she intends to devote her efforts to supporting what she described as the better candidate in that race.
“The 2027 presidential election is the prize that matters in this electoral cycle. I am backing the better candidate in that race. That is where my energy belongs,” she stated.
She concluded by urging media organisations to correct their reports, insisting that the historical record must accurately reflect the events surrounding her senatorial bid.
“Let no media house rewrite history. Correct your headlines. Posterity is watching,” she said.