Politics
APC faults INEC, says primaries held in Zamfara contrary to claim
Contrary to the stance of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has insisted it held primaries in Zamfara state.
This is contained in a letter signed by the party’s National Chairman, Mr Adams Oshiomhole, and served on INEC on Tuesday in Abuja.
It would be recalled that INEC had held that the party was not eligible to field candidates for Governorship, National Assembly and State Assembly elections in Zamfara in 2019.
The commission had also said that the party failed to conduct primaries in the state in line with the Electoral Act 2010 as amended.
The commission in a letter signed by its Acting Secretary, Mr Okechukwu Ndeche, had accused the party of not conducting the primaries within the stipulated time-frame specified by the Electoral Act.
The letter reads : “please refer to the timetable and schedule of activities for the 2019 general elections released by the commission on January 9, 2018.
“You would note that from the timetable the conduct of primaries is scheduled to take place between Aug.18 and Oct. 7.
“However, report received from our office in Zamfara state shows that no primaries were conducted by your party in Zamfara, notwithstanding that our officials were fully mobilised and deployed.
“Consequently, based on the provision of Section 87 and 31 of the Electoral Act 2010 as amended, the commission does not expect that your party will submit names of any candidate from Zamfara state’’.
Responding, Oshiomhole said: “We wish to state emphatically that nothing can be farther from the actual situation in Zamfara State’’.
He hinted that the party had sent a comprehensive report to INEC from the Zamfara Electoral Committee of the APC.
Oshiomhole added that the report was signed by APC members on the conduct of the primary elections in Zamfara held between Oct.6 and Oct.7
Oshiomhole, however said all the aspirants met at City King Hotel, Gusau, to find a truce following the high level of friction, disagreements and threatened violence by various political camps before the primaries.
“After hours of intense horse-trading, a consensus was reached within the spirit and context of the Electoral Act and the Constitution of our party,’’ he said.
He further explained that it was on the basis of the above that a list of successful candidates was produced which was later confirmed and affirmed by the delegates.
He said the process was carried out in strict compliance with Section 87 (6) of the 2010 amended Electoral Act.
Oshiomhole, therefore, added that INEC`s claim that no primaries were conducted by the party in Zamfara could only be referring to their observation that actual voting did not take place.
He said primary election was not the only mode prescribed for producing party candidates for elections in the 2010 amended Electoral Act.
The APC national chairman, however, referred lNEC to its timetable and schedule of activities for the 2019 general elections.
He noted that the timetable stated that all political parties were expected to submit a list of their candidates on or before Oct. 18 after exhausting all internal procedures for appeals arising from congresses.
“As a party, we are in the process of exhausting those internal procedures before forwarding the names of our candidates to you.
“We are perplexed that you did not wait for us to submit the names of our candidates in Zamfara State, considering that the time within which such submission should take place has not elapsed.
“This is more so, when we received no correspondence from the commission at least to inquire from our party the true state of affairs in Zamfara, in the spirit of fair hearing,’’ Oshiomhole said.
He however, noted that the Peoples Democratic Party did not also hold primaries in Kano, adding that no such letter was written to the party by the commission.
“It is our contention, in the circumstance, that your letter is not only pre-emptive, but your position seems to negate the spirit of any fair hearing,’’ he said.
According to him, INEC’s stance has no backing of the law.
He, therefore, said the party would be presenting candidates for Governorship, National Assembly and State Assembly elections in Zamfara for the 2019 general elections having complied with the rules.
He said the party was on the verge of submitting its candidates before Oct.18 deadline set by the commission in line with Section 87 (6) of the Electoral Act, 2010 as amended.
He further added that if the commission, however, raised further observation after receiving the list of the party`s candidates, the party would be glad to clarify such observation.
Ahead of the 2027 general elections, the national leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) on Tuesday held a high-level strategic meeting with the Oyo State chapter of the party as part of efforts to reposition the APC for victory and prevent internal crisis ahead of the polls.
The development was first scooped by OYOINSIGHT.COM which quoted multiple party sources familiar with the closed-door deliberations.
Sources disclosed that the meeting, held in Abuja, focused largely on a consensus arrangement being considered by stakeholders of the party in Oyo State, in line with political templates reportedly being adopted in Lagos and Ogun states ahead of the next electoral cycle.
Party insiders said the move was aimed at strengthening unity within the fold of the opposition party in the state, minimising rancour during the primaries and presenting a formidable front against rival parties in 2027.
It was further gathered that some members of the state executive committee may have been subtly informed about preferred consensus candidates being considered for elective positions across the state.
Though details of the deliberations were still sketchy as of press time, sources hinted that the national leadership stressed the need for cohesion, discipline and strategic alignment among stakeholders to improve the party’s electoral fortunes in Oyo.
Those at the meeting included the Oyo APC Chairman, Moses Alake Adeyemo; the state secretary, Fatai Adesina Adeniyi; the Publicity Secretary, Olawale Sadare; the Organising Secretary, Aderemi Adepoju; and the Legal Adviser, Sunday Aborisade.
Others were the Women Leader, Adekemi Opatunde; the Youth Leader, Olalekan Oladejo; Joshua Oyebamiji; Tunde Oloyede; Sunday Babalola; Joseph Omoniyi; and Mojeed Adebayo.
As of the time of filing this report, the party had yet to issue an official statement on the outcome of the meeting.
The Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyo State, Chief Moses Alake Adeyemo, on Monday assured aspirants and party members that the party would conduct transparent, peaceful and credible direct primaries ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Adeyemo declared that no aspirant would be victimised or denied a level playing field, stressing that the party leadership remained committed to internal democracy and progressive ideals.
The former deputy governor spoke while receiving members of the APC Screening and Appeal Committees deployed from the party’s National Secretariat in Abuja at the APC Secretariat in Oke-Ado, Ibadan.
He disclosed that although the party initially explored consensus arrangements across elective positions, prevailing realities indicated that direct primaries would be conducted in some areas, including the governorship contest.
Adeyemo said the party had already put necessary structures in place to ensure a hitch-free exercise capable of strengthening unity within the APC.
He said: “We set machineries in motion for us to achieve the aim of consensus across board but reports available to me indicate that we would have to go by the second option which is direct primary in certain cases including the governorship ticket.
“To this end, we shall work towards organising free, fair and credible exercise in all the affected areas even as we cannot rule out the possibility of some aspirants having a rethink and supporting the consensus arrangement as necessary.
“Where we have more than an aspirant, Abuja would send people to conduct primaries and we at the state level would provide the required support to make everything work out in the interest of our great party.”
The APC chairman explained that all registered party members would participate fully in the exercise at their respective wards on dates to be announced by the National Secretariat.
According to him, affirmation would be adopted in areas where consensus candidates emerge, while voting would be conducted wherever direct primaries become necessary.
“For consensus, members will lend their voices for affirmation while voting will be done in the cases of direct primary,” he added.
Speaking earlier, Chairman of the Screening Committee and former Speaker of the Ondo State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Taofiq AbdusSalam, assured party faithful that the committee would carry out a thorough, transparent and unbiased screening process.
He said only eligible aspirants would be cleared to participate in the primaries and eventually fly the APC flag in the forthcoming elections.
Other members of the Screening Committee are Kamal Sanusi (Secretary), Smart Oluwole, Tunde Kolade and Olabamiji Agunloye.
Members of the Screening Appeal Committee are Jibola Oduwole (Chairman), Abimbola Jack (Secretary) and Jelil Jimoh.
The Nigeria Democratic Congress on Saturday zoned its 2027 presidential ticket to Southern Nigeria, declaring that the party’s candidate would serve a single four-year term if elected.
The decision was reached during the party’s national convention held in Abuja amid growing momentum within the opposition platform following a wave of high-profile defections from other political parties.
Announcing the development on its official social media handle, the party stated, “NDC presidential ticket is zoned to the South!!”
The party also resolved that its 2031 presidential ticket would be ceded to Northern Nigeria as part of efforts to maintain regional balance and internal equity.
The convention comes as key opposition figures, including former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, and former New Nigeria People’s Party presidential candidate, Rabiu Kwankwaso, joined party leaders and delegates at the Abuja gathering.
Saturday’s convention is expected to ratify several recent decisions taken by the party’s National Executive Committee, including zoning arrangements, amendments to the party constitution, and the election of new national executives.
According to the convention agenda obtained by journalists, discussions centred on zoning, ratification of the amended constitution, and leadership restructuring ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The NDC has in recent weeks witnessed a surge in defections from rival opposition parties, particularly the African Democratic Congress and the Peoples Democratic Party.
On Tuesday, no fewer than 17 members of the House of Representatives defected from the ADC to the NDC.
Their defections were formally announced during plenary at the House of Representatives.
The lawmakers include Yusuf Datti, Uchenna Okonkwo, Adamu Wakili, Thaddeus Attah, George Ozodinobi, Lilian Orogbu, Oluwaseyi Sowunmi, Peter Aniekwe, Mukhtar Zakari, George Oluwande and Munachim Umezuruike.
Others are Emeka Idu, Jesse Onuakalusi, Ifeanyi Uzokwe, Afam Ogene, Murphy Omoruyi and Abdulhakeem Ado.
The defections came barely two days after Obi and Kwankwaso formally joined the NDC from the ADC.
The duo were presented with the party’s membership cards last Sunday shortly after a closed-door meeting with party leaders.
A former Governor of Bayelsa State and NDC national leader, Seriake Dickson, officially welcomed the opposition figures into the party.
Obi had attributed his exit from the ADC to worsening internal crises, external interference and what he described as increasing hostility within party structures.
The former Anambra State governor said Nigeria’s political environment had become increasingly toxic, marked by intimidation, insecurity and sustained scrutiny of opposition figures.
He also lamented that institutions meant to protect citizens were now often deployed against them, while individuals committed to genuine public service faced mounting pressure both publicly and privately.
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