APC Senate Primaries: Aggrieved Aspirants Reject Results In States

By Jonathan Nda-Isaiah, Khalid Idris Doya, Bauchi, Aza Msue, Kaduna, and Nicholas Dekera, Gusau

Reactions have trailed the recent All Progressives Congress (APC) senatorial primary elections across the country, as aspirants who lost out have rejected the outcome.

In Bauchi State, an aspirant for the Bauchi South Senatorial seat, Hon. Abdulmumini Kundak, expressed concern over the credibility of the recently concluded party primaries, alleging that the exercise did not follow due process.

Speaking during a press conference in Bauchi on Tuesday, Kundak described the exercise as a “so-called primary,” insisting that there was no clear evidence that elections were conducted across the senatorial district.

Aggrieved aspirants of the All Progressives Congress (APC) from the three senatorial zones in Kaduna State also protested against the party’s senatorial primary election results conducted on Monday.

The aspirants demanded the cancellation of the exercise over alleged irregularities and violations of party guidelines.

The protest was led by former Senator Danjuma Laah alongside other aggrieved aspirants, including Michael Ayuba Auta from Kaduna South and Yusuf Bala Ikara from Kaduna North, after a news conference held at the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) secretariat in Kaduna.

The aspirants, who arrived at the venue with a crowd of supporters that flooded the NUJ premises, called on the APC National Working Committee (NWC) to nullify the primaries conducted across Kaduna North, Kaduna Central, and Kaduna South senatorial districts and order fresh direct primary elections under the supervision of the party’s national leadership.

In Delta State, APC stakeholders in the Northern Senatorial District rejected what they described as the “self-imposed and propagandist declaration of victory” by former Delta State Governor, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, insisting that results from the field showed Senator Ned Munir Nwoko won the senatorial primaries overwhelmingly.

In a statement made available to LEADERSHIP and signed by their spokesman, Engr. Emma Eboh, the stakeholders accused Okowa of attempting to subvert established party procedures by prematurely declaring himself winner despite clear guidelines issued by the APC National Organising Secretary.

According to the stakeholders, the party had, before the primaries, outlined a strict process for result collation and announcement, including ward collation, Local Government Area (LGA) collation, designated constituency collation centres, and final submission to the national headquarters.

“The authority to declare results rests solely with the National Committee. What Okowa has done is a clear violation of party rules and an attempt to manipulate perception ahead of due process,” the statement said.

Meanwhile, former Zamfara State Governor and serving Senator Abdul’aziz Yari was absent on Monday as stakeholders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Zamfara affirmed consensus candidates for the state’s House of Representatives and Senate seats ahead of the party’s primaries.

The reconciliation meeting, convened in Gusau to unite party members ahead of the National Assembly primaries, was attended by three former governors, two serving senators, and other party leaders.

Present at the gathering were former governors Sen. Sani Ahmed Yarima, Mahmuda Shinkafi, and the Minister of State for Defence, Mohammed Bello Matawalle.

Also in attendance were serving senators Sahabi Yau Kaura and Ikra Aliyu Bilbis, all serving members of the House of Representatives from Zamfara, state party executives, stakeholders, and officials from the APC national secretariat in Abuja.

The meeting was convened at the instance of Zamfara State Governor Dauda Lawal, according to organisers.

Party supporters at the venue commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his role in facilitating the consensus arrangement among aspirants.

They expressed appreciation for what they described as his timely intervention in resolving differences within the Zamfara APC amicably.

The stakeholders said the consensus process was aimed at strengthening the party’s cohesion and improving its chances in the 2027 general elections.

Senator Yari, who represents Zamfara West Senatorial District, did not attend the meeting, and no reason was given for his absence.

The APC in Zamfara is expected to forward the names of the endorsed candidates to the party’s national leadership for ratification ahead of the primaries.