Bashir Ahmad says Aisha Yesufu may be demoralised after losing the NDC FCT Senate ticket and limiting her role in Peter Obi’s 2027 campaign
Former presidential media aide Bashir Ahmad on Wednesday, August 19, 2026, criticised Aisha Yesufu’s decision to reduce her involvement in Peter Obi’s 2027 campaign, suggesting that the Nigerian Democratic Congress chieftain may be demoralised after failing to secure the party’s ticket for the FCT Senate race.
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Yesufu recently said she would continue supporting Obi when necessary but would not travel with the NDC presidential candidate as extensively as she did during the 2023 election campaign.
“Yes, I will still campaign with Peter Obi when necessary, but you might not see me travelling around with him as much as possible,” Yesufu said.
Her comments prompted a reaction from Ahmad, an All Progressives Congress chieftain, who argued that Yesufu had legitimate reasons to feel disappointed.
In a post on X, Ahmad said Yesufu had consistently supported Obi and claimed that the former Anambra State governor had failed to back her sufficiently in her bid for the FCT Senate ticket.
“Aisha Yusuf has every reason to feel demoralised,” Ahmad wrote.
He argued that Obi’s failure to secure the ticket for Yesufu demonstrated a lack of reciprocal loyalty, particularly given Yesufu’s prominent support for Obi during the 2023 presidential election.
“It is a well known fact that Mr Peter, her principal, could not stand up for her to secure the senatorial ticket,” Ahmad said.
The APC chieftain further claimed that Obi appeared to have prioritised protecting his own presidential candidacy over supporting Yesufu’s Senate ambition.
“In politics, loyalty should be reciprocal,” he added.
Ahmad also brought Rabiu Kwankwaso, Obi’s running mate within the opposition alliance, into the debate.
He pointed to Kwankwaso’s political influence in Kano and cited his son’s emergence as a deputy governorship candidate as an example of what he described as standing by political allies.
The exchange highlights the growing political tensions within Nigeria’s opposition ahead of the 2027 general election.
Yesufu has remained one of Obi’s most prominent grassroots supporters since the 2023 presidential campaign, frequently defending his political record and mobilising support around his candidacy.
Her latest comments, however, suggest that her role in the forthcoming campaign could look different from the highly visible state-to-state mobilisation associated with the 2023 election.
Yesufu has not said that she is withdrawing her support for Obi. Instead, her statement indicates that she intends to campaign for him when necessary while reducing the amount of travelling she does with his campaign.
Ahmad’s interpretation that the decision stems from disappointment over the Senate ticket remains his opinion.
Yesufu’s statement itself did not directly attribute her decision to the unsuccessful bid.
The development comes as opposition parties and their supporters intensify preparations for the 2027 election, with candidate selection, internal alliances and campaign structures increasingly becoming sources of public debate.
For Obi’s camp, maintaining unity among prominent supporters could prove important as the NDC seeks to build a formidable challenge ahead of the presidential contest.
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For Yesufu, meanwhile, the decision marks a potentially significant change from the highly visible role she played during the 2023 campaign, even as she maintains that she will continue to support Obi when required.
