North-Central APC Forum Gives Party Chairman Two-Week Ultimatum Over Alleged Primary Election Irregularities
The North-Central Forum of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has issued a two-week ultimatum to the party’s National Chairman, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, demanding his resignation over allegations of monetisation and manipulation of the recently concluded party primaries.
The Forum accused the National Working Committee (NWC) led by Yilwatda of being responsible for widespread disputes and controversies that trailed the APC’s state assembly, National Assembly, governorship, and presidential primaries across the country.
In a statement issued on Friday by its National Chairman, Alhaji Saleh Zazzaga, the group alleged that party officials altered results in some cases to favour preferred aspirants, while some candidates who were initially positioned to win were allegedly disqualified through screening processes.
According to the Forum, the leadership of the party failed to adhere to internal guidelines and instead influenced outcomes in ways that undermined fairness and transparency.
“We are issuing a two-week ultimatum to the national chairman to resign because of incompetence, violation of the party’s constitution, monetization of the just concluded party primaries and changing the results when it favoured those perceived as not in his camp,” the statement read.
The group further alleged that the NWC under the chairman interfered with official processes and manipulated results in several constituencies and electoral contests across the country.
It also raised concerns over discrepancies in figures announced during the presidential primary election, questioning the credibility of the process.
The APC presidential primary committee, chaired by former Senate President Pius Anyim, had announced that President Bola Tinubu secured over 10 million votes, defeating his opponent Stanley Osifo, who polled 16,503 votes. The Forum, however, described the figures as controversial, suggesting inconsistencies with party records.
The group argued that such discrepancies cast doubt on the integrity of the exercise, noting that the party reportedly has about eight million registered voters, making the announced figures appear inflated.
It maintained that the process amounted more to selection than a democratic election, insisting that the guidelines were not properly followed.
The Forum also lamented that the fallout from the primaries has weakened the party, leading to defections of key members who protested alleged injustice.
It cited the resignation of former Deputy President of the Senate, Ovie Omo-Agege, who left the party after losing the Delta Central senatorial primary, as well as the exit of Mustapha Bala Dawaki, the former Chief of Staff to the APC National Chairman, who also defected following his loss in Kano State.
The group warned that if the chairman fails to resign by June 12, it would approach the court to seek redress.
The development adds to growing internal tensions within the ruling party following its controversial primaries and ongoing political realignments ahead of future elections.
