The results of the All Progressives conference (APC) delegates’ conference and Abuja Metropolitan Area Council (AMAC) primaries are still up in the air, with party leaders continuing to accuse the event of anomalies.
Hon. Ishaku Tanko Yamawo, a candidate for the chairmanship of the 2026 AMAC council, accused the recent primaries “held on June 25, 2025” of “gross injustice, deliberate exclusion, and abuse of internal democracy” during a press conference in Abuja on Saturday.
A preset candidate was declared the winner of the chairmanship primaries, Yamawo told reporters, regretting the exercise’s secrecy.
Additionally, he called the party’s delegates convention, which took place throughout AMAC’s twelve wards, a fraud and denounced its actions.
Hon. Yamawo, who was clearly concerned, stated that he had anticipated “transparency and fairness” in the process after fulfilling all constitutional requirements to run for the chairmanship position, including acquiring the expression of interest and nomination papers for 20 million naira (N20 million).
“In addition, I paid for and submitted delegate forms and covered the three- year dues for delegate aspirants in order to ensure their eligibility to participate in the delegates congress
He bemoaned, “The process was tainted by anomalies, a lack of transparency, and outright manipulation.”
“In response to this, I formally submitted a petition to the Delegate Congress Appeal Committee, rejecting the process and demanding a rescheduled congress that would truly reflect the will of the people,” the candidate for chairmanship explained when asked about the steps taken to settle the disputes through internal party mechanisms.
“Neither the APC National Secretariat nor the appeal committee have acknowledged or responded to me as of yet.
The committee that was dispatched from the APC National Headquarters arrived with a predetermined agenda that was obviously intended to give preference to one candidate over another.
“This level of manipulation and exclusion sets a dangerous precedent,” he said, voicing concerns. It sends a message to the world that internal democracy and fairness are no longer valued highly by the APC.
The future of our party is in jeopardy if such serious injustices are permitted to continue. It discourages devoted members and promotes impunity among our members.
He signed a statement that said, in part, “I speak not only as a candidate in the recent Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) Chairmanship primary election, but also as a founding member of the APC in AMAC and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), a devoted and active member who has paid his dues and served this party with unwavering commitment since its inception.”
“As a financial member of the APC, I fulfilled all constitutional requirements to contest for the Chairmanship position. I paid $20,000,000.00 for the Expression of Interest and Nomination Forms.
Additionally, I covered the three-year dues for delegate candidates and paid and submitted delegate forms to guarantee their ability to attend the delegates congress.
I thought this method would be open, trustworthy, and consistent with our party’s basic principles of justice, equity, inclusion, and internal democracy.
“We were shocked to learn that the delegates’ congress, which took place on June 21, 2025, in all twelve wards of AMAC, was a total farce.
“The committee that was dispatched from the APC National Headquarters arrived with a predetermined agenda that was obviously intended to give preference to one candidate over another.
“Inconsistencies, a lack of transparency, and outright manipulation plagued the process.”
As a result, I formally petitioned the Delegate Congress Appeal Committee to reject the procedure and call for a new congress that would accurately represent the people’s will.
“Neither the APC National Secretariat nor the appeal committee have acknowledged or responded to me as of yet.
“The national party leadership was totally mute in the face of our repeated demands for fairness, including a follow-up letter asking that the Chairmanship primary be rescheduled.
Even worse, neither I nor the other candidates received any official notification that the primary election will begin on June 25, 2025.
A predetermined candidate had been proclaimed the victor of an election that I and many others were purposefully excluded from due to the opaque nature of the procedure.
Not only is this intolerable, but it also betrays every tenet upon which the APC was established.
As if that weren’t enough, there were also a lot of irregularities in the councillorship primaries in some wards, particularly Gwarimpa Ward.
An aspirant who lost the councillorship primary was proclaimed elected and even given a certificate of return in one startling case. This flagrant disrespect for due process is unacceptable.
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“This degree of exclusion and manipulation creates a risky precedent. It sends a message to the world that internal democracy and fairness are no longer valued highly by the APC.
“The future of our party is in jeopardy if such serious injustices are permitted to continue. It discourages devoted members and promotes impunity among our members.
“As a devoted party member and interested party, I hereby demand the following:
“The party leadership and the newly appointed APC National Chairman, Professor Nantawe Goshwe Yilwatda, ought to form an impartial inquiry committee to examine:
“The AMAC Delegates Congress’s behavior.”
“The Councillorship and Chairmanship Primaries,
“The illegal issuance of certificates of return.”
In line with the party’s constitution, a new, credible, and inclusive primary should be held in place of the June 25th AMAC Chairmanship primary.
“That the party respond to all valid complaints and publicly recognize and address petitions filed by candidates, including mine.”
“Let me be clear: I still stand for the principles of the All Progressives Congress and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, a man whose leadership continues to motivate many of us.
But if our party keeps permitting unfairness, discrimination, and manipulation, we run the risk of offending the same people who founded our party.
“I implore all party members, leaders, and sincere progressives to stand up for the core principles of our party.
“The party ticket now represents the selection of well-liked and competent candidates who can win the general elections, rather than those supported by influential people and large sums of money. The future of our party is seriously threatened by this expanding imposition trend.
Many members no longer believe the party can maintain justice and fairness, and loyalty to the party has drastically decreased.
Therefore, we must make sure that what millions of people have labored so hard to create over the years is not destroyed by the self-serving interests of a select few.
