Winners of the recently concluded primaries of the All Progressives Congress have raised concerns over the delay in issuing Certificates of Return to successful aspirants, alleging that the development may be part of a calculated move to alter the party’s candidates’ list ahead of the 2027 general elections.
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Some of the declared winners from different states and elective positions said the delay had created uncertainty within the party, despite the conclusion of primaries and the announcement of results by duly constituted primary election committees.
The aggrieved aspirants, who spoke on condition of anonymity, alleged that the prolonged delay had heightened suspicion, especially following claims that some members of the National Working Committee insisted that the party leadership had the final authority to determine who eventually becomes the APC candidate.
One of the declared winners said the situation was troubling because aspirants participated in the primaries in good faith and winners were announced at the constituency level.
“We participated in the primaries in good faith, results were announced by the duly constituted primary committees, and winners emerged. But weeks after the exercise, many of us have yet to receive our Certificates of Return,” the aspirant said.
“What is more troubling is the statement by some NWC members that the party leadership reserves the right to determine who becomes a candidate, irrespective of who was declared the winner by the chairman of the primary election committee. That statement is dangerous and undemocratic.”
Another aspirant alleged that there were moves to replace some declared winners who were not favoured by influential figures within the party hierarchy.
The aspirants also questioned why President Bola Tinubu had already been presented with his Certificate of Return after winning the APC presidential primary, while many other successful candidates were still waiting for theirs.
“The president has already received his Certificate of Return, so why are others being delayed? The party should not create the impression that some candidates are more valid than others,” one of them stated.
The development has reportedly triggered consultations among affected aspirants, with some considering legal action should the party fail to recognise the results declared by the various primary election panels.
Efforts to obtain an official reaction from the APC national leadership were unsuccessful as of the time of filing this report. However, party sources said the NWC was still reviewing reports from the primaries and would take final decisions in line with the party’s constitution and guidelines.
The APC had earlier maintained that the NWC possesses the authority to ratify candidates for submission to the Independent National Electoral Commission, regardless of declarations made at primary election venues.
However, sources alleged that some aspirants were lobbying members of the NWC with huge sums of money in a bid to alter results from the constituency level.
The sources called on President Tinubu to intervene and prevail on the NWC not to tamper with the declared results, warning that any attempt to alter the outcomes could trigger a serious internal crisis and harm the party’s chances ahead of the 2027 elections.
Meanwhile, APC stakeholders across the country have cautioned the party leadership against any attempt to nullify consensus and direct primary elections on the ground that results were announced prematurely in the states before transmission to the NWC.
In a memorandum addressed to the National Chairman and members of the NWC, and signed by Barrister Abdullazeez Mamman on behalf of APC stakeholders nationwide, the group argued that the committees deployed to conduct the primaries acted as agents of the NWC under delegated authority.
The stakeholders cited provisions of the Electoral Act, the 1999 Constitution and the APC Constitution, insisting that the law does not empower the NWC to nullify concluded primaries merely because results were announced before being transmitted to the national secretariat.
They maintained that Section 84(14) of the Electoral Act vests exclusive jurisdiction in the Federal High Court to hear complaints arising from party primaries, and that the NWC cannot assume the role of an appellate tribunal over elections conducted by its own committees.
The memorandum urged the APC leadership to uphold and transmit to INEC all results returned by committees that conducted consensus and direct primaries, warning that any contrary action could undermine internal democracy and destabilise the party.
“The ballot is not a proposal. The will of party members expressed through consensus and direct primary elections is not subject to nullification by administrative fiat,” the memorandum stated.
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