The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, has affirmed that the party has not yet published the official list of candidates that emerged from its primaries ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Yilwatda disclosed on Thursday that a final decision on the candidates who emerged from its recent nationwide primaries had not been taken because petitions and appeal reports were being reviewed by its legal department and the National Working Committee (NWC).
The APC chairman said the party would not submit any list of candidates to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) until the reviews were completed.
Some aggrieved stakeholders from 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 reported 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, and that results were announced before voting materials got to the designated centres.
He said party members in the predominantly Nupe-speaking district had gathered and were waiting to vote when they were informed that the results had already been declared.
He also alleged that the result was announced at the Government House in Minna rather than the APC zonal office in Bida, where senatorial primary results were usually declared.
The protesters said the deviation from established procedures raised questions about the credibility of the exercise and suggested the outcome had been predetermined.
“We are demanding justice and a new, open and transparent primary election. “What happened can’t be described as a democratic process,” another protester said.
The stakeholders also called on President Bola Tinubu to ensure fairness and justice, and appealed to the APC leadership to intervene to address the grievances of party members.
In response, Yilwatda said the procedures for contesting the outcome of primaries were clearly defined in the Electoral Act and the party’s internal guidelines.
He pointed out that only the contenders who took part in the disputed primaries have the legal right to contest the process and lodge formal complaints to the party’s Appeal Committee.
The APC chairman stated that the party’s legal department was at the moment reviewing reports from the different appeal committees and that all petitions submitted within the stipulated timeframe would be looked into.
He therefore advised the aggrieved aspirants to follow 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 that any complaint on real breach of party rules or electoral procedures will be given due consideration.
He said after the legal department completes 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 finished until all appeal reports are reviewed. We are awaiting 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 reflect the rising concern among APC members and aspirants over the delay in the release of the party’s final list of candidates for the 2027 general elections.
