Prominent activist Aisha Yesufu, a close ally of former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi, has withdrawn from the senatorial contest for the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) under the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC).
Yesufu announced her decision on Friday, barely weeks after defecting from the African Democratic Congress (ADC) to the NDC and declaring her intention to contest the 2027 election for the FCT Senate seat.
In a statement, she revealed that the party leadership has decided against holding primaries for the senatorial position.
“Our party has decided not to conduct primaries for the Senatorial seat in FCT Abuja. It however intends to conduct primaries for House of Representatives! Go ahead and make your choice known!” she said.
Her withdrawal comes amid reports that the NDC had resolved to field another aspirant, Amanda Pam, who has longstanding ties with the party.
Despite stepping aside, Yesufu urged her supporters to stay focused on the larger goal.
“I urge each and every one of you to remain calm and focus on the bigger picture which is the presidential election. Nigeria will be OK!” she stated.
She expressed gratitude to those who backed her #AishaForSenate project and announced plans to continue grassroots engagement across the FCT.
“In the coming week I will be returning back to all the 6 Area Councils God willing to appreciate them for the warm welcome and continue to forge ahead for a #BetterFCT,” she added.
Yesufu had cited the leadership experience gained in the ADC as a key motivation for her initial decision to run.
