By Frontline Reporters
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has ruled out any review of the results of its recently concluded primary elections, despite mounting petitions and protests from aggrieved aspirants across the country.
Investigations by Frontline Reporters indicate that the ruling party has concluded the collation and verification of results submitted from across the states and is preparing to upload the names of successful candidates to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) nomination portal ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The decision effectively closes the door on demands for fresh primaries and appeals by party members who have alleged irregularities, manipulation and imposition of candidates during the exercise.
Senior party officials, including a principal APC leader and a member of the National Working Committee (NWC), confirmed that the party has neither altered nor considered altering the outcomes of the primaries conducted nationwide.
“We are not reviewing the results of the primaries. The timeline for primaries and appeals has already elapsed. We are simply awaiting the access code to upload the names of the winners to the INEC portal,” one of the officials told Frontline Reporters on condition of anonymity.
“Everything has been concluded. We are not aware of any review process being contemplated.”
INEC is expected to release access codes to political parties on June 26, while July 11 has been fixed as the deadline for submission of candidates’ particulars for the 2027 elections.
Appeals Yielded Minimal Changes
The APC primaries, conducted between May 16 and May 18, produced several surprises, with no fewer than 54 serving federal lawmakers, including ranking senators and members of the House of Representatives, losing their re-election bids.
The outcome triggered a wave of petitions and protests, particularly in Lagos, Delta, Zamfara, Kogi, Rivers, Plateau and Osun states, where unsuccessful aspirants challenged the conduct and results of the exercises.
However, party sources disclosed that the reports submitted by the various appeal panels made little or no significant impact on the final outcomes.
“Most of the petitions were found to be frivolous and lacked merit,” the APC official said.
“Some complaints centred on zoning arrangements, while others questioned the eligibility of candidates who recently defected from other political parties. Many of these issues are pre-primary matters and do not constitute valid grounds for overturning primary election results.”
The official noted that with 109 senatorial districts, 360 House of Representatives constituencies and thousands of state assembly seats involved, the overwhelming majority of contests generated no disputes.
“The results that will eventually be submitted are not likely to differ from those already known to party members and the public,” he added.
Petitions Against Okowa, Chinda
Among the notable petitions before the party is that filed against the emergence of former Delta State Governor, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, as the APC senatorial candidate for Delta North.
Sources within the party disclosed that Senator Ned Nwoko is challenging Okowa’s nomination on the grounds that he allegedly failed to properly resign from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) before joining the APC.
Okowa defected to the APC on April 23 alongside Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori.
In Rivers State, some aspirants are also said to have challenged the emergence of Kingsley Chinda as the APC governorship candidate.
Responding to the controversy, the APC official maintained that membership issues remain an internal affair of the party.
“As long as an individual’s name appears in the APC register, that person is a member of the party and eligible to contest. Questions about when or how such a person joined are matters for the party to determine,” he stated.
Tinubu Yet To Intervene
Another member of the APC National Working Committee dismissed reports suggesting that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had intervened in the post-primary disputes rocking the party.
According to the official, neither the President nor any representative of the Presidency has approached the party leadership regarding a review of the primary results.
“If there was any presidential intervention, it would have occurred before the primaries, not after. As things stand, the results remain intact,” the source said.
Speaking specifically on the controversies surrounding the Lagos primaries, the official insisted that all candidates who emerged from the exercise had been duly confirmed.
“Anybody who emerged in the Lagos primaries has emerged. Nothing has changed and nothing will change. Less than two per cent of the petitions filed by aggrieved aspirants succeeded,” he added.
The APC National Secretary, Senator Ajibola Basiru, declined to comment on the issue, describing it as an internal party matter.
Similarly, the National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, could not be reached for comments.
Aggrieved Aspirants Hope For Presidential Intervention
Despite the party’s position, some dissatisfied aspirants remain hopeful that President Tinubu may yet intervene before the final submission of candidates’ names to INEC.
One aspirant from Lagos State alleged that influential figures within the party were preventing the President from receiving accurate information about the situation.
“The President is known for listening to all sides before taking decisions. I believe he will seek the facts and act in the interest of fairness and party unity,” the aspirant said.
Another aspirant warned that unresolved grievances could negatively impact the APC’s electoral fortunes in 2027.
“There have already been protests at the party secretariat. The APC should resolve these issues and allow the President to focus on governance. The greater danger is not necessarily those who leave the party, but those who remain and quietly work against it during elections,” he cautioned.
With the INEC submission deadline fast approaching, the APC leadership appears determined to move forward with the candidates produced by the primaries, even as internal discontent continues to simmer in several states.
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2026-06-11