Senator representing Gombe Central Senatorial District, Muhammad Danjuma Goje, has rejected the consensus arrangement adopted by the Gombe State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC), describing it as an imposition.

According to a report by Daily Trust, party stakeholders at a meeting on Sunday, presided over by Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya, endorsed retired DCP Mohammed Ahmadu Deba as the APC’s consensus candidate for the senatorial seat currently occupied by Goje.

Reacting in a statement issued by his aide, Barrister Saidu Muazu Kumo, Goje—who is seeking a fifth term in the Senate—argued that the meeting did not include all duly recognised aspirants within the party.

He maintained that the provisions of the Electoral Act clearly stipulate two lawful methods for the nomination of candidates by political parties for submission to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) ahead of the 2027 general elections.

“These methods must be strictly adhered to in order to ensure legality and transparency in the electoral process,” the statement read.

Goje further noted that several aspirants had validly purchased Expression of Interest and Nomination Forms but were excluded from the consensus arrangement held at the Government House.

The statement added that, in line with the existing electoral framework, candidate nomination should be conducted through direct primary elections, duly monitored by INEC and relevant security agencies, on a date to be scheduled by the party.

He stressed that any form of imposition of candidates by political parties is inconsistent with and contrary to the provisions of Nigeria’s electoral laws.