Chibuzo Ukaibe, James Kwen, Anayo Onukwugha, Angela Nkwo-Akpolu — There is growing anxiety among aspirants seeking the All Progressives Congress (APC) ticket to contest the National Assembly, governorship, and presidential elections in the 2027 polls.
This followed the ruling party's inability to release the results of the screening exercise held over the weekend as scheduled.
According to the party's timetable and schedule for the 2027 general election, the results of the screening exercise were expected to be released yesterday.
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APC National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, had recently stated that the "publication of screened aspirants" was scheduled for "Wednesday, 13 May 2026."
While the results for the State Houses of Assembly had been released, those for the National Assembly, governorship and presidential aspirants had yet to be made public as of the close of work on Wednesday.
However, the APC timetable and schedule of activities for the 2027 general election showed that primary elections would commence on Friday, 15 May, with the House of Representatives primaries, followed by the Senate primaries on 18 May 2026.
The primaries will continue with governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections on 21 May, while the presidential primary is scheduled for 23 May 2026.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had given political parties until 30 May 2026 to conduct primaries and resolve disputes arising from them.
The APC concluded the screening exercise on Sunday, especially for aspirants contesting the 469 National Assembly seats, comprising 360 House of Representatives seats and 109 Senate seats, as well as 28 governorship positions and one presidential ticket.
A top party source confided in LEADERSHIP that the party was mindful of the sensitive circumstances surrounding the screening exercise, noting that "we are aware of pressures from certain quarters to tamper with the exercise."
The source added that the party was aware of the anxiety caused by the delay but said the leadership was working in the "overall interest of party members."
Reacting, former Special Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on Prosecution, Okoi Ofem Obono-Obla, told LEADERSHIP that, "I wouldn't know why the national party has not released the screening results. But here in Cross River State, the party is trying to pressure aspirants to step down for favoured aspirants under the guise of consensus.
"APC in Cross River State must understand that coercing aspirants to sign purported consent agreements to accept consensus candidates, without complying with the provisions of Section 84 of the Electoral Act 2026, is void ab initio.
"I am particularly concerned about the Yakurr I State Constituency and the Abi/Yakurr Federal Constituency. APC cannot impose candidates under any guise; otherwise, there will be a boomerang effect," he said.
Also reacting, a party chieftain, Dominic Alancha, said, "I don't think there is any cause for alarm. I believe the screening committee is compiling its report, which will be submitted soon."
Please remember that the APC had waived the screening requirement for President Bola Tinubu but subjected other presidential aspirants, including Osifo Stanley, as well as serving governors seeking re-election and those aspiring to Senate seats, to screening.
Those screened included Governors Hope Uzodimma (Imo), Mai Mala Buni (Yobe), Pastor Umo Eno (Akwa Ibom), Mohammed Umaru Bago (Niger), Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia (Benue), Uba Sani (Kaduna), Peter Mbah (Enugu), Bassey Otu (Cross River), Nasir Idris (Kebbi), Sheriff Oborevwori (Delta), Caleb Mutfwang (Plateau), Dikko Radda (Katsina), Abba Kabir Yusuf (Kano), Dauda Lawal (Zamfara), and Ahmad Aliyu (Sokoto).
Governorship aspirants seeking fresh elections who also appeared for screening included Lagos State Deputy Governor, Kadri Obafemi Hamzat; Yusuf Tuggar (Bauchi); Senator Mustapha Saliu (Kwara); Senator Solomon Adeola (Ogun); AbdulFatai Yahaya (Kwara); Dr Bakari Girei (Adamawa); Ahmed Aliyu Wadada (Nasarawa); David Kente (Taraba); Mascot Uzor-Kalu (Abia); Prof. Isa Pantami (Gombe); Mustapha Salihu (Adamawa); Geoffrey Kuraun (Benue); Terwase Orbunde (Benue); and former Inspector-General of Police Mohammed Abubakar Adamu (rtd.) from Nasarawa.
Meanwhile, LEADERSHIP checks revealed that APC aspirants at the state level are also anxious over the outcome of the screening exercise. Most aspirants who were screened out of the primaries declined to comment to reporters, noting that they had filed appeals and would wait for the process to conclude before speaking publicly.
However, a disqualified APC aspirant for a seat in the Rivers State House of Assembly, Comrade Solomon Lenu, alleged that many aspirants cleared to contest the party primaries never appeared before the screening committee.
A total of 65 APC aspirants, including former factional Speaker Hon. Victor Oko-Jumbo, were reportedly disqualified by the screening committee.
Speaking with LEADERSHIP in Port Harcourt, Lenu, who sought to represent Khana Constituency in the House of Assembly, insisted that those cleared were loyalists of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Chief Nyesom Wike.
"My view about the situation is quite unfortunate because I understand the effort I put into ensuring that every requirement, documentation and financial obligation that should qualify me to contest for an office such as the State House of Assembly was met.
"So, when I saw the news online and the list published showing that I was not cleared, it was disheartening because I knew something was wrong.
"Of course, I have gone on appeal and submitted my petition to the Appeals Committee, and I hope they will look into it and correct whatever decision they reached earlier.
"Human beings are not above mistakes, and when you have a large number of people and documents to process within a short period, as the screening committee did, errors and faulty decisions are bound to occur.
"The way those who were cleared emerged leaves a lot of doubt in people's minds that there may have been some shenanigans. A faction of the APC loyal to the FCT minister was all cleared. In fact, in my constituency, the person who was cleared did not even appear before the screening committee," he alleged.
Spokesperson for the Imo APC, Dr Jones Onwuasoanya, said the screening list for the state had yet to be released, but assured that it would be credible.
Onwuasoanya hinted that only aspirants with good standing in their local party wards may be cleared.
In a statement issued on Wednesday after the party executives hosted some members, Onwuasoanya called on members to put the party's interests first.
According to him, Chief Alex Mbata, an aspirant for the Imo East (Owerri Zone) ticket, and Chief Success Akagburuonye, who is allegedly eyeing the Douglas House as the next governor, visited the state party executives on Wednesday, during which assurances were given.
Onwuasoanya said that as the primaries draw closer, the APC is calling on members to prioritise the party's interest by ensuring that only popular and viable aspirants with a good record at ward, local government and state levels are voted for.
Meanwhile, Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) have expressed concern over the large number of aspirants who were screened out of participating in the APC primaries.
The groups called on the APC and other political parties to uphold democratic principles by ensuring transparent, inclusive and accountable primary processes.
Three prominent CSOs -- the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC), Transparency International Nigeria and the Transition Monitoring Group (TMG) -- expressed their concerns in interviews with LEADERSHIP.
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The newspaper gathered that about 200 aspirants, particularly for State Houses of Assembly elections under the APC platform, had been screened out of the nomination process.
It was also learnt that aggrieved aspirants in states such as Taraba, Kano, Jigawa, Anambra, Benue, Kogi, Kaduna, Ebonyi, Rivers and Plateau were planning legal action and protests over their disqualification.
Reacting to the development, the Executive Director of CISLAC, Auwal Musa Rafsanjani, said. At the same time, political parties reserve the right to set internal guidelines and eligibility criteria, the arbitrary exclusion of aspirants raises serious questions about transparency, fairness and internal party democracy.
He said the organisations expressed "deep concern over reports that the APC screened out a large number of aspirants from participating in its primary elections.
"While political parties reserve the right to set internal guidelines and eligibility criteria, the arbitrary exclusion of aspirants raises serious questions about transparency, fairness and internal party democracy.
"Democracy is weakened when political participation is restricted through opaque screening processes that deny citizens and party members equal opportunities to contest for leadership positions.
"Political parties are critical institutions in any democratic system, and their conduct directly reflects the health of the nation's democracy. When aspirants are unfairly disqualified without clear, transparent and publicly verifiable reasons, it creates perceptions of imposition, elite capture and manipulation of the democratic process."
He added that credible primary elections are the foundation of credible general elections and warned that excluding aspirants and suppressing dissenting voices undermines public confidence in democratic institutions.
"Nigeria's democracy can only thrive where political competition is open, fair and driven by the will of party members rather than the interests of a powerful few," he said.
