APC Primaries Most Transparent, Organised In Nigeria — Basiru

The National Secretary of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Ajibola Basiru, has declared that no other political party in the country can match the ruling party in the conduct of its primary elections.

Basiru made the assertion despite controversies trailing the APC primaries across several states.

InfoStride News reports that the controversies surrounding the primaries have largely centred on allegations of candidate imposition, electoral irregularities, violence, and exclusion of stakeholders.

The consensus method adopted in some areas has also attracted criticism from aggrieved aspirants who argued that the process lacked transparency and sidelined popular candidates.

Speaking during an interview on Arise News, Basiru maintained that the APC performed creditably in the conduct of the primaries, describing the exercise as organised and transparent.

According to him, the ruling party demonstrated commitment to internal democracy through the adoption of direct primaries as provided in the Electoral Act.

“Based on the reports received from both the House of Representatives and the Senate, I would assess our party very favourably in terms of organisation and the overall results of the exercise.

“The APC has implemented the direct primary option as stipulated in the Electoral Act, and this process has showcased the party’s dedication to transparency and internal democracy.

“I can assert with confidence that by May 29 or 30, it will be rare to find any other political party exhibiting this degree of coordination, openness, and participation as the APC has done,” he said.

Also speaking, the Deputy National Chairman (South) of the APC, Dr Ben Nwoye, advised aggrieved aspirants to either accept the outcome of the primaries or pursue appeals through the party’s internal mechanisms.

According to him, the primary process does not end with the declaration of winners, noting that dissatisfied aspirants still have the opportunity to seek redress through the appeal committees and the National Working Committee, NWC.

“The reality is that the primaries have largely concluded, with winners declared, while those who are dissatisfied can either accept the results at the declaration stage or file an appeal, as the process does not conclude with the primaries.

“Dissatisfied aspirants can submit petitions to appeal committees for review, and if necessary, escalate further to the National Working Committee.

“So far, the process has been satisfactory, with democracy being actively witnessed across the country and strong grassroots participation from APC supporters,” Nwoye stated.