The All Progressives Congress has defended its decision to replace some candidates after its primary elections, insisting that the process followed the party’s internal rules and did not breach the Electoral Act.
The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, spoke on Tuesday during an interview on ARISE NEWS while responding to claims that candidates were arbitrarily substituted ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Morka said the party received more than 720 petitions from aspirants who were unhappy with the outcome of the primaries. He explained that the petitions were first examined by the party’s appeal committees before the National Working Committee reviewed both the reports and the cases again before making final decisions.
According to him, the changes made to some candidacies were based on the outcome of those reviews and formed part of the primary election process. He maintained that the appeal stage is an extension of the primaries and not a separate exercise created by the party.
The APC spokesman also rejected claims that individuals who neither bought nomination forms nor took part in the primaries were later given party tickets. He said he was unaware of any such case and challenged those making the allegation to provide evidence.
Morka admitted that some aspirants were disappointed after losing the primaries but said the party carefully examined every complaint before reaching its conclusions. He added that party leaders had already begun meeting with aggrieved members to explain the decisions and encourage unity ahead of future elections.
He said the APC’s internal mechanisms exist to address complaints and correct any irregularities that may arise during the primary process. According to him, no candidate was favoured without following the party’s established procedures.
Speaking on the 2027 general election, Morka dismissed suggestions that the ruling party was worried about its chances. He said the APC remained confident after winning elections conducted since the 2023 general polls, including recent by-elections.
He added that the party would continue working towards another victory in the next general election and insisted there was no reason for the APC to fear the outcome of the polls.