In a statement issued by its Chairman, Alhaji Saleh Zazzaga, the North-Central APC Forum said it was worried about the conduct of the primaries and warned that the process could damage the party if not properly handled. The group said the repeated changes in the election timetable had raised concerns among members and aspirants across the country.
The APC had initially fixed the House of Representatives primaries for Friday before announcing a postponement late on Thursday night. The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, confirmed the new date but did not give any reason for the change.
Reacting to the development, the North-Central APC Forum said it believed the postponement was connected to alleged attempts by some party officials to influence the process for personal gain.
The group claimed that some officials were moving around different states meeting aspirants and allegedly making promises of automatic tickets.
The Forum also expressed concern that the list of aspirants cleared for the primaries had not been made public despite the closeness of the exercise. According to the group, the delay created suspicion among party members and strengthened fears that the process may not be transparent.
The Forum backed President Bola Tinubu’s recent appeal for peaceful and fair primaries but insisted that party leaders must ensure that the process remains open and credible. It warned that sidelining influential members and aspirants could create internal problems for the APC before the general elections.
The group further pointed to complaints coming from different states, including Rivers State, where some aspirants linked to Governor Sim Fubara were reportedly disqualified during the screening process. It claimed similar concerns were emerging in other states and warned that the situation could weaken the party if urgent steps were not taken.
According to the Forum, many party members now fear that financial influence rather than merit may determine who emerges as candidates in the primaries.
The group called on relevant authorities within the APC to closely monitor the process and ensure fairness for all aspirants.
The APC primaries are expected to continue nationwide as the party prepares for the 2027 elections amid growing tension and political consultations across several states.