APC Primaries: Over 50 Percent Of Members Across The Country Not Happy With Conduct, Outcome – North Central Forum

By Suleiman Anyalewechi 

An All Progressives Congress, APC, support group,  North Central APC Forum, has claimed that over 50 per cent of members are completely dissolutioned by the conduct and outcome of the party’s primaries, especially those involving the State and National Assemblies.

In a statement by its Chairman, Saleh Zazzaga, the forum expressed serious concern over the growing level of frustration and dissatisfaction with the leadership style of the APC National Chairman Prof Nentawe Yilwaltda.

Particularly, the body lamented the unjustifiable wave of indiscriminate disqualification that have characterized the exercise, and noted that the conduct and outcome of the primaries have vindicated its earlier alarm that some unscrupulous party leaders and officials had commercialized and weaponized the exercise.

The Forum alleged that many of the victims of the disqualification were those perceived not to be in agreement with the selfish and narrow interests of certain prominent, but compromised party officials and chieftains.

According to Zazzaga, the unfortunate and condemnable conduct and outcome are traceable to the faulty and corrupt recruitment processes of both the screening and primary election Committee members.

The forum alleged that competence, credibility and proven integrity were sacrificed on the alter of political patronage and cronism in the appointment of officials for the exercise.

“What we have witnessed is that the process continued getting worse by the day. They are disqualifying people who are supposed to be cleared while clearing those who are supposed to be disqualified all because of their selfish interests.

“That is why we earlier raised the alarm that they have commercialized the process. From what we have gathered, over 50 percent of party members across the country are not happy with the conduct of the APC primary elections. They are not happy with the National Chairman.

“What we have seen play out is that they ( National Officers) sent their cronies to different states to conduct primary elections  even when such persons lack the capacity, and exposure to handle such sensitive assignments.

“The selection of members of the primary election Committees was based on personal relationships and a willingness to do the biddings of party national officials.

“If an aspirant refuses to dance to their tune, once they notice that such a person is likely to win the primary election , they rush to announce a disqualification.

“That is why confusion has trailed the outcome.of the primaries in several constituencies and Senatorial Districts”, the Forum stated.

The group expressed serious concern that the national officers of the party have placed their selfish interests above those of the party, despite passionate pleas from  President Bola Ahmed Tinubu against such a disposition.