APC faces fresh backlash as aggrieved aspirants reject candidate replacements.

Aspirants who were left out of the final list of the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidates for various elective positions have cautioned the party to handle the situation carefully, warning that failure to do so could damage its reputation as a united political platform.

Reports indicate that the APC began issuing nomination forms obtained from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to its candidates on Monday. During the exercise, it was discovered that some individuals earlier announced as winners had been replaced with other candidates.
Correspondents reported similar developments in Kwara, Ondo, Benue, Kaduna and Kogi states.
In Kwara State, while the governorship candidate received the nomination forms, the senatorial candidates were not issued theirs due to conflicting claims over the authentic APC candidates for the state’s three senatorial districts.
Party stakeholders had earlier called on the APC national leadership to review developments surrounding the conduct and outcome of the governorship and legislative primaries. They also urged the party to adopt a transparent and inclusive process that would strengthen internal unity.
The controversy followed events during the APC governorship primary, where Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq initially announced Ambassador Yahaya Seriki as the party’s consensus governorship candidate, a decision that was rejected by several aspirants and stakeholders, particularly from Kwara North.
Following the primaries, Senator Lola Ashiru emerged for Kwara South, Senator Saliu Mustapha for Kwara Central, and Umar Sadiq for Kwara North. The three were among the signatories to a resolution by aspirants concerning the choice of the party’s governorship candidate.
However, unconfirmed reports suggest that the APC submitted the names of Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, Prince Olalekan Adewoye and Dr Mohammed Umar Mahamud as replacements for the serving senators representing Kwara Central, Kwara South and Kwara North, respectively.
If confirmed, the changes would see Governor AbdulRazaq replace Senator Saliu Mustapha, Adewoye replace Senator Lola Ashiru, and Mahamud replace Senator Umar Sadiq. The claims, however, could not be independently verified.
Kwara APC Chairman, Prince Sunday Fagbemi, explained that the presentation of nomination forms marked the final stage of the party’s internal process after the national leadership concluded deliberations on petitions arising from the primaries.
According to him, although candidates emerged during the governorship, National Assembly and State House of Assembly primaries, the state chapter was instructed not to officially announce them until the National Working Committee (NWC) completed its review.
“The National Working Committee has gone through all the processes, especially the complaints submitted by aspirants. Those who had complaints ventilated them before the Appeal Committee, which also completed its assignment.
“The NWC has now cleared the candidates, and it is our responsibility to present the nomination forms for completion before they are uploaded to the INEC portal,” Fagbemi said.

Source: Radarr