The National Working Committee of the All Progressives Congress has ordered all state panels conducting House of Representatives primaries to stop announcing candidates and forward reports to the party’s national headquarters in Abuja.
The directive, contained in a memo signed by APC National Organising Secretary Suleiman Argungu, instructed committees to suspend media briefings and centralise collation of primary election results.
According to party sources, the move followed complaints and disputes from several states over the conduct of the primaries.
The development triggered fresh tension in Ondo State, where disagreements reportedly split members of the seven-man primary election committee handling the exercise.
Reports indicated that the committee secretary, Adamu Shamaki, and two other members returned to Abuja amid allegations of pressure to declare certain aspirants as winners despite earlier disqualification by the party.
The crisis stalled the announcement of results in several constituencies, with accusations of attempts to impose consensus candidates allegedly backed by Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa.
Party insiders claimed the APC National Youth Leader, Dayo Israel, was also present at the collation centre despite not being a committee member, raising concerns among stakeholders.
Meanwhile, the primaries produced major political upsets nationwide as at least 36 serving APC members of the House of Representatives lost their return tickets ahead of the 2027 elections.
Several lawmakers from states including Benue, Cross River, Imo, Jigawa, Ondo, Rivers, Ekiti and Plateau failed to secure renomination during the primaries.
In Benue, loyalists of Secretary to the Government of the Federation George Akume were among those defeated, while Akume’s wife, Regina Akume, secured the APC ticket for the Gboko/Tarka Federal Constituency.
Governor Hyacinth Alia was said to have tightened his grip on the APC structure in the state after many Akume-backed lawmakers lost their tickets.
Elsewhere in Plateau State, tension turned deadly during the APC House of Representatives primary in Mangu Local Government Area after a protest over delayed voting reportedly led to the killing of a resident identified as Sani Abdullahi.
Eyewitnesses alleged that security operatives opened fire after youths protesting the delay began throwing stones, with a stray bullet hitting the victim.
The incident caused panic at the venue, while residents called for a full investigation into the killing.
