How Jigawa long-serving lawmaker, Yusuf lost APC primary

After nearly two decades in federal politics, Sa’idu Yusuf Miga has lost his bid to return to the House of Representatives after failing to secure the All Progressives Congress (APC) ticket for the Jahun/Miga Federal Constituency in Jigawa State.

The longtime politician lost out during Saturday’s APC primary in Jigawa State, marking a major political shift in the constituency and closing a chapter that began in 2003.

Sa’idu Yusuf first won election into the House of Representatives under the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) before aligning with the APC during the 2014 merger that produced the ruling party.

He successfully retained his seat in 2015, 2019 and 2023, making him one of Jigawa’s longest-serving federal lawmakers.

However, his long political journey came under increasing pressure as dissatisfaction grew among residents of Jahun and Miga over what many described as underperformance and poor constituency engagement.

Several youth groups and community members openly accused him of failing to attract meaningful development projects and lacking strong legislative impact, particularly since the start of the 10th National Assembly.

Earlier this month, a youth coalition known as “Jahun Ina Muka Dosa” organised a peaceful protest, demanding that the APC leadership replace the lawmaker with someone they believed could deliver better results.

The group, led by Shamsu Sulaiman Alafin, Nura Wada and Comrade Muhammad Khamisu Harbo, submitted its grievances to party leaders and Governor Umar Namadi.

They argued that after years in office, many communities still lacked the basic dividends of representation and deserved fresh leadership.

The APC eventually settled on Umar Imam as its new candidate for the constituency which effectively ended Sa’idu Yusuf’s attempt to return for another term.

Observers say the outcome signals a stronger voter demand for accountability, with political longevity no longer enough to guarantee survival without visible performance and grassroots trust.