The National Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Ajibola Basiru, has declared that no other political party in Nigeria can match the ruling party’s performance in the conduct of its primary elections.
Basiru made the assertion even as the APC primaries continue to generate significant internal strife, with widespread complaints of candidate imposition, electoral misconduct, violence, and the exclusion of key stakeholders.
Speaking on a television programme, the APC National Secretary maintained that the ruling party’s primaries stood out in terms of organisation and transparency.
“No other party will equal the level of organization and transparency demonstrated by the ruling party,” he said.
Basiru added: “Based on the reports received from both the House of Representatives and the Senate, I would assess our party very favorably in terms of organization and the overall results of the exercise.
“The APC has implemented the direct primary option as stipulated in the Electoral Act, and this process has showcased the party’s dedication to transparency and internal democracy.
“I can assert with confidence that by May 29 or 30, it will be rare to find any other political party exhibiting this degree of coordination, openness, and participation as the APC has done.”
However, critics and several aggrieved aspirants have repeatedly condemned the process, particularly the use of the consensus method, which they argue lacks transparency and sidelines popular candidates.
Meanwhile, Dr. Ben Nwoye, the Deputy National Chairman (South) of the APC, who also spoke on Arise News, urged losing aspirants to either accept the outcome or pursue formal appeals.
“The reality is that the primaries have largely concluded, with winners declared, while those who are dissatisfied can either accept the results at the declaration stage or file an appeal, as the process does not conclude with the primaries,” Nwoye said.
He noted that dissatisfied aspirants could submit petitions to appeal committees and, if necessary, escalate their complaints to the National Working Committee.
“So far, the process has been satisfactory, with democracy being actively witnessed across the country and strong grassroots participation from APC supporters,” Nwoye added.
