The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, has said the party has not published the official list of candidates that emerged from its primaries ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Yilwatda revealed on Thursday that no final decision on the candidates who emerged from its recent nationwide primaries had been taken as petitions and appeal reports were being reviewed by its legal department and the National Working Committee (NWC).
The party’s chairman, APC, said it would not submit any list of candidates to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) until the reviews were completed.
Some aggrieved stakeholders in the Niger South Senatorial District stormed the APC National Secretariat in Abuja on Thursday to demand the cancellation of the senatorial primary election conducted in the district. It was gathered that Yilwatda made the position of the party known.
Protesters alleged widespread irregularities in the exercise and called for a fresh primary election, insisting that the process that produced a candidate for the district did not reflect the wishes of party members.
On behalf of the protesters, the Deputy National Secretary of the Coalition of National Civil Society Organisations (CNCSOs), Comrade Danesi Momoh Prince, alleged that there was no genuine primary election, with results announced before voting materials reached the designated centres.
He said party members in the predominantly Nupe speaking district had assembled and were waiting to vote when they were told that the results had already been declared.
He also alleged that the result was announced at the Government House in Minna rather than at the APC zonal office in Bida, where senatorial primary results were usually declared.
The protesters said the departure from established procedures raised questions about the credibility of the exercise and suggested the outcome had been predetermined.
“We want justice and a new, open and transparent primary election. “What happened can’t be called a democratic process,” another protester said.
The stakeholders also urged President Bola Tinubu to ensure fairness and justice and appealed to the APC leadership to intervene to address the grievances of the party members.
Yilwatda said in response that the procedures for challenging the outcome of primaries were clearly spelled out in the Electoral Act and the party’s internal guidelines.
He said only the candidates who participated in the contested primaries have the legal right to challenge the process and submit formal complaints to the party’s Appeal Committee.
The APC chairman said the party’s legal department was currently reviewing reports from the various appeal committees and that all petitions submitted within the stipulated timeframe would be looked into.
He therefore advised the aggrieved aspirants to go through the laid-down channels to submit their objections.
“You should advise the affected aspirants to properly document any grievances and ensure that they are lodged through the approved channels. The Appeal Committee reports are already with the legal department for review,” he said.
Yilwatda told the protesters any complaint on real breach of party rules or electoral procedures will be given due consideration.
He said once the legal department has finished its review, the reports would be sent to the National Working Committee for consideration before the party submits its final list of candidates.
“The process is not complete until all appeal reports are reviewed. “We are waiting for the report of the legal department, after which the National Working Committee will take the necessary decisions in line with due process,” he said.
Yilwatda’s comments show the growing concern of APC members and aspirants over the delay in the release of the final list of party’s candidates for the 2027 general elections.
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