APC Defends Post-Primary Candidate Substitutions, Insists Process Was Lawful

The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has defended its decision to substitute some candidates after its recently concluded primary elections, insisting that the exercise complied with the provisions of the Electoral Act, the party’s constitution and established internal procedures.

The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, made the clarification on Tuesday during an interview on ARISE News, following allegations that the APC unlawfully replaced candidates and handed tickets to individuals who did not participate in the primary elections.

Morka disclosed that the party received more than 720 petitions from aggrieved aspirants after the primaries, explaining that the complaints were reviewed by appeal committees before recommendations were forwarded to the National Working Committee (NWC) for final consideration.

According to him, the NWC also independently reviewed the reports of the appeal committees before approving changes where necessary.

“We received over 720 petitions from those who contested in that election. 

These petitions were reviewed by the appeal committees. Recommendations were made to the National Working Committee, which also re-evaluated those cases before arriving at the final decisions. 

The changes are legitimate outcomes of our primaries,” Morka said.

Responding to claims that the substitutions violated the Electoral Act, the APC spokesman argued that party primaries are a process rather than a one-day event, stressing that the appeal mechanism forms an integral part of the nomination exercise.

He maintained that the review process was neither arbitrary nor designed to manipulate the outcome of the primaries.

Morka also dismissed allegations that the party handed tickets to individuals who neither purchased nomination forms nor participated in the screening and primary election process.

“I am not aware of any such case where someone who did not buy forms, was not screened or did not participate in the primaries was simply handed a ticket,” he said.

While acknowledging that some aspirants remained dissatisfied with the outcome of the primaries, Morka said the party painstakingly examined every petition to ensure fairness and transparency.

He added that the APC had commenced engagements with aggrieved members to reassure them that the decisions reached were based strictly on due process and not personal preferences.

The APC spokesman further rejected suggestions that the review exercise was manipulated to favour powerful political interests, insisting that the party’s internal mechanisms exist to address irregularities that may arise during primary elections.

According to him, no primary election is entirely free of disputes, making an appeal process necessary to guarantee justice for all contestants.

Speaking on the party’s preparedness for the 2027 general elections, Morka expressed confidence that the APC remained well-positioned for victory, citing its performance in recent by-elections as evidence of the party’s electoral strength.

He said the APC would continue working to consolidate its support base ahead of the polls while dismissing suggestions that the ruling party was apprehensive about the forthcoming elections.