A coalition of concerned stakeholders, youth leaders, ward coordinators and supporters of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Plateau State has called on the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party to immediately publish the names of members of the electoral committees assigned to conduct the forthcoming governorship and State House of Assembly primaries in the state.
The demand was contained in a statement signed by the coordinator of the group, Yilji B. John, and its secretary, Abdulahi Adamu Shendam, under the platform Concerned APC Stakeholders for Electoral Transparency in Plateau State on Tuesday in Jos.
The group said the call became necessary to ensure transparency, credibility and strict compliance with the APC Constitution and operational guidelines ahead of the primaries, warning against a repeat of controversies that have trailed previous exercises in the state.
According to the stakeholders, the publication of committee members is critical to strengthening confidence among aspirants and party faithful while protecting the integrity of the process.
Speaking on behalf of the coalition, John said the position of the group was not aimed at undermining the party leadership but at safeguarding internal democracy and preventing avoidable disputes after the primaries.
“We are not opposing the party leadership. We are only demanding transparency and strict compliance with the APC Constitution. Plateau APC cannot afford another round of conflicting figures, parallel announcements and post-election disputes.
“The names of those assigned to conduct these primaries must be made public immediately,” he stated.
The coalition expressed concern over what it described as irregularities that characterised previous primary elections, particularly the House of Representatives primaries, insisting that secrecy surrounding the composition of electoral committees could create grounds for litigation and deepen divisions within the party.
The stakeholders maintained that only officials duly appointed by the NWC possess the constitutional authority to conduct the primaries and declare winners, citing provisions of the APC Constitution and the party’s operational guidelines.
“We cannot afford a repeat of the confusion, conflicting figures and unauthorized parallel announcements that marred the recent House of Representatives primaries.
“To protect the integrity of our party in Plateau State and save us from avoidable post-election litigation or division within the party, we demand strict compliance with the APC Constitution and the party’s operational guidelines,” the statement added.
The group further argued that the chairman of the governorship primary election committee serves as the chief returning officer and remains the only person empowered to collate and announce results, while local government or ward executives do not have the constitutional authority to declare winners in State House of Assembly primaries.
The coalition also stressed that the publication of committee members before the elections is mandatory under the party’s guidelines, warning that undisclosed deployments could compromise the credibility of the primaries.
It further called for the immediate conduct of a pre-primary stakeholders’ interactive session involving aspirants, security agencies and Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) monitors in accordance with party guidelines.
Reaffirming loyalty to the APC, the stakeholders said the steps being demanded were necessary to strengthen trust within the party and ensure credible outcomes in the forthcoming primaries.
