2027: APC defends candidates’ list, urges members to close ranks for Tinubu

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The All Progressives Congress (APC) has declared that it never handed over tickets to people who never participated in its primaries, insisting all substitutions were done in conformity with laid down rules.

It also dismissed insinuations that the review was manipulated to favour certain interests.

Speaking Tuesday on early morning show on Arise Television, APC National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, said the party received more than 720 petitions from aggrieved aspirants after the primaries and treated each one before making changes.

“We received over 720 petitions from those who contested in that election. These petitions were reviewed by the appeal committees. Recommendations were made to the National Working Committee,” Morka said.

According to him, the NWC went further to “re-evaluate those cases” before arriving at the final list.

“And at the end of them, we made those changes that you are discussing. So these are legitimate outcomes of our primaries,” he added.

Morka pushed back against claims that the APC violated the Electoral Act by replacing candidates after the primaries, contending that primaries are not just about voting.

“Primary election is a process. It’s not an event. The appeal process is an integral part of the primary election process. It’s not a separate process, and it’s not a process invented by the party to cause mischief,” he said.

On allegations that the party gave tickets to people who didn’t buy forms or show up for screening, the APC spokesman said he was not aware of any such case.

“I’m not aware of any such case that you are alluding to about those who didn’t participate, who never bought forms, who were not screened, who didn’t participate in primaries, all of a sudden handed tickets.

“Look, I’m not aware. If you have any such example, please mention it, and I will go back and do my own investigation,” Morka said.

He admitted that not everyone would be happy with the outcome, but said the party made efforts to be fair.

“When they don’t win, naturally some people definitely have a reason to be dissatisfied. And this is why we took our time to go through these appeal processes to make sure that there was no case we didn’t give the time of day to thoroughly review,” said the party’s publicity scribe.

He said: “What we say to them is that everyone cannot be flag bearer. Our engagements are already on to reach individuals like this, to reassure them that this is not personal. Nothing has been done that is arbitrary. Nobody has just been favoured with tickets.”

Party urges members to close rank for Tinubu

In a related development, the ruling party called on its members nationwide to close ranks and mobilise for the re-election of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Deputy National Chairman (South) of the party, Benjamin Obi Nwoye, also assured that the party would recognise and reward the sacrifices of its founding members.

 Nwoye made the call Tuesday while receiving members of the G37—a coalition of former state chairmen of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) and other legacy parties—as well as party stakeholders, during a courtesy visit to the APC National Headquarters in Abuja.

The APC chieftain described the visit as emotional and a reminder that the struggle that birthed the ruling party was far from over.

“We are not at the end yet. We are not even at the middle. We are still at the beginning of the struggle,” he said, while expressing appreciation to members who travelled from different parts of the country despite logistical challenges.

He urged party faithful not to lose hope over delayed political appointments, assuring them that President Tinubu remained mindful of those who contributed to the formation and growth of the APC.

“My plea is that you should remain steadfast. Asiwaju is not someone who forgets. By the grace of God, he has a good memory,” Nwoye stated.

The deputy national chairman stressed that although the legacy parties that formed the APC—including ACN, CPC and ANPP—no longer exist officially, their histories and contributions should continue to be acknowledged.

“There is nothing wrong with remembering our roots. It is not division; it is understanding our foundation,” he said, adding that the APC’s strength lies in its unity as a “Rainbow Coalition.”

Nwoye further charged members to resist distractions from the opposition and intensify grassroots mobilisation ahead of the 2027 polls, arguing that the Tinubu administration had delivered visible infrastructure projects across the country.

According to him, improved road networks across the South-East and South-South regions are evidence of the administration’s commitment to national development.

He also pledged that the party leadership would continue to advocate for the welfare of loyal members, insisting that those who laid the foundation of the APC should never be abandoned.

Group’s leader

Earlier, leader of the G37 and former ACN state chairman, Comrade Cletus Obum, reaffirmed the group’s loyalty to the APC and congratulated Nwoye on his emergence as Deputy National Chairman (South).

Obum described Nwoye as a compassionate and accessible leader whose personal interventions had provided financial and emotional support to families of deceased party leaders.

He urged the APC leadership to ensure that pioneers and legacy members of the party were adequately recognised through appointments and participation in party structures.

“The people who built this party should not be left standing outside the corridors of power,” he said.

Obum also traced the history of the APC merger, arguing that the process began as far back as 2004 with discussions involving the defunct Alliance for Democracy, the Advanced Congress of Democrats and other opposition groups, eventually leading to the formation of the Action Congress and later the Action Congress of Nigeria before the APC was established.

He appealed to the party leadership to preserve the ideals of progressive politics by rewarding loyalty and ensuring that founding members remained integral to the party’s future.

The meeting ended with both leaders reaffirming their commitment to strengthening the APC ahead of the 2027 general elections and maintaining unity within the ruling party.