APC centralizes primary results announcement amid imposition concerns

The national leadership of the All Progressives Congress has directed officials handling its ongoing primary elections to forward results to Abuja for final validation and announcement by the party’s National Working Committee (NWC).

The move, which reportedly affects the conduct of National Assembly primaries, has sparked concerns among some party members and aspirants over fears of possible candidate imposition and reduced transparency in the electoral process.

According to party sources, state-level electoral panels and party executives have been instructed to supervise voting, collate results, and submit reports to the APC national headquarters, while only the NWC or its authorized representatives will officially announce winners and issue certificates of return.

Party officials defended the decision, describing it as an internal administrative measure aimed at preventing conflicting declarations, managing disputes, and ensuring uniformity in the primary process across states.

However, the development has generated anxiety within sections of the ruling party, with critics arguing that delaying the announcement of results at the local level could create room for manipulation and favoritism.

Some aggrieved aspirants and stakeholders expressed fears that centralizing the process in Abuja may undermine grassroots participation and fuel allegations of preferred candidates being imposed by influential figures within the party leadership.

The controversy comes as the APC adopts a mix of direct primaries and consensus arrangements in different states ahead of the next electoral cycle.

Despite the concerns, the APC National Publicity Secretariat has urged party members to remain calm, insisting that the verification process is intended to strengthen internal discipline and avoid the emergence of parallel or disputed results.

The party maintained that all outcomes would be subjected to due process before final ratification by the National Working Committee.