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Winners of the recently concluded All Progressives Congress (All Progressives Congress) primaries have raised serious concerns over the delay in the issuance of Certificates of Return, alleging a possible plot by the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) to tamper with and substitute duly elected candidates ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The aggrieved aspirants, drawn from several states and elective positions, said the prolonged delay—weeks after the conclusion of primaries and announcement of results by various election committees—has created tension and deep suspicion within party ranks.
According to them, the situation appears to contradict earlier assurances of transparency in the conduct of the primaries and is now fuelling fears that the final list of candidates may be altered at the party’s national secretariat.
One of the declared winners, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said many victorious aspirants had yet to receive their Certificates of Return despite being officially announced by primary election committees.
“We participated in the primaries in good faith. Results were announced by duly constituted committees, and winners emerged,” the aspirant said.
“But weeks after the exercise, many of us have not received our Certificates of Return. More disturbing is the statement credited to some NWC members that the leadership reserves the final authority to determine who becomes the party’s candidate. That is dangerous for internal democracy.”
Another aspirant alleged that moves were underway to replace certain candidates considered politically inconvenient to powerful interests within the party hierarchy.
The aspirants also drew comparisons between their situation and the swift presentation of the party’s presidential Certificate of Return to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu after the presidential primary, describing the disparity as troubling and unjust.
“The president has already received his Certificate of Return. Why are others being delayed? It gives the impression that some candidates are more valid than others,” another aspirant said.
The delay has reportedly triggered consultations among affected candidates, with some considering legal action should the party fail to uphold the declared outcomes of the primaries.
Meanwhile, sources within the party insisted that the NWC was still reviewing reports from the primaries in line with constitutional provisions and guidelines of the party before transmitting the final list to the Independent National Electoral Commission (Independent National Electoral Commission).
The APC leadership has consistently maintained that the NWC retains constitutional authority to ratify and forward candidates’ names, regardless of outcomes announced at primary election venues.
However, the development has deepened internal tensions, with stakeholders warning that any attempt to alter results already declared at the constituency level could trigger a serious internal crisis capable of weakening the ruling party ahead of 2027.
A coalition of APC stakeholders, in a memorandum addressed to the party leadership, argued that the primaries were conducted by committees acting on behalf of the NWC and that their outcomes should not be subjected to administrative reversal.
They further cited provisions of the Electoral Act 2022, insisting that disputes arising from party primaries fall within the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court, not internal party review panels.
The stakeholders urged the party to immediately transmit all validly conducted primary results to INEC, warning that failure to do so could undermine internal democracy and destabilise the party structure nationwide.
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