APC Primaries Spark Malpractice Claims in Ekiti and Zamfara Despite Leadership Praise

All Progressives Congress National Chairman Nentawe Yilwatda declared the party's recent primary elections the most competitive in Nigeria's history after meeting with President Bola Tinubu in Lagos. Yilwatda described the process as largely orderly and a logistical success, noting that the Presidential and Party Conflict Resolution Committees have been activated to handle post-primary grievances ahead of the 2027 general elections. President Tinubu provided moral and logistical support to the National Working Committee during the exercise.

However, the primaries produced significant disputes in multiple states. In Ekiti, stakeholders and the Ekiti Network of Asiwaju Youths petitioned the presidency over alleged gross malpractices in Ekiti North Federal Constituency II. The groups claimed elections were not held in several wards yet results were declared at the Ado Ekiti collation center, and that a media aide for candidate Akinlayo Davidson Kolawole was wrongfully arrested by police to influence the outcome.

In Zamfara State, senatorial aspirants accused Minister of State for Defence Bello Matawalle of attempting to impose candidates. Sani Abdullahi Shinkafi, an aspirant for Zamfara North Senatorial District, alleged Matawalle falsely claimed the President ordered all senate aspirants to withdraw in favor of serving senators. Shinkafi warned this jeopardizes the party's general election prospects. Separately, Matawalle met with 85 aggrieved House of Assembly aspirants in Gusau who failed screening, urging patience as the National Working Committee reviews petitions.

In contrast, the Agege primaries in Lagos proceeded without reported violence. Ganiyu Egunjobi and Azeez Ninalowo won the House of Assembly seats for Constituencies I and II after being adopted as consensus candidates at a caucus meeting presided over by Lagos Assembly Speaker Mudashiru Obasa. Sources diverged on the exact vote counts. The Independent National Electoral Commission monitored the exercise, and the winners called for party unity heading into 2027.