MACBAN President Alhaji Bello Bodejo
President of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), Alhaji Bello Bodejo, is reportedly facing mounting pressure to abandon his ambition of contesting the Taraba Central Senatorial seat ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Bodejo, a frontline aspirant on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), was reportedly intercepted in Jalingo on May 7, 2026, by officials of the Department of State Services (DSS), shortly after submitting his nomination form for the party’s senatorial primary.
Sources said he was flown overnight from Jalingo to Abuja and later handed over to operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), where he remained in custody as of the time of filing this report.
Emerging details indicate that while in detention, Bodejo was allegedly advised by authorities to step down from the senatorial race as part of conditions tied to his possible release.
According to sources familiar with the matter, he was allegedly told to shelve his 2027 ambition and wait until 2031 to pursue the Senate seat.
Reacting to the development, Bodejo’s Director-General of Campaign, Alhaji Adamu Isa, condemned what he described as the humiliating manner in which the APC aspirant was arrested and transported to Abuja in the presence of his supporters.
He maintained that Bodejo has remained a committed member of the APC and has contributed significantly to the growth of the party.
According to him, “If some people are not comfortable with the Senatorial contest of Bodejo, they could have invited him to a dialogue rather than using security agents to intimidate and harass him.”
Isa, further, stated that Bodejo played a major role in supporting President Bola Ahmed Tinubu during the 2023 presidential election, using both personal resources and political connections to mobilise support for the APC.
The campaign DG stressed that Bodejo, as a law-abiding Nigerian, reserves the constitutional right to either continue with his ambition or withdraw from the race at his discretion.
He, however, called for sincere dialogue among all parties involved in the matter.
Isa also alleged that the consensus committee set up by the Taraba State chapter of the APC never invited Bodejo for discussions before his arrest.
He appealed to the national leadership of the APC and other critical stakeholders to intervene and ensure justice is done.
The campaign organisation further demanded Bodejo’s immediate release to enable him participate in the ongoing screening process for aspirants.
Isa also urged supporters of the MACBAN president to remain calm, peaceful and law-abiding while awaiting the outcome of the matter.
