North-Central Forum condemns monetization of APC primaries by party officials

Before the All Progressives Congress (APC) primaries for the House of Representatives begin, the North‑Central APC Forum has warned that the process has become commercialized by party officials.

The primaries were originally scheduled for Friday, 15 May 2026. On Thursday, 14 May 2026, the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, announced that the date had been moved to Saturday, 16 May 2026. No explanation was provided for the change.

In a statement released on Friday, the Forum’s Chairman, Alhaji Saleh Zazzaga, said the postponement was a direct result of the monetization of the exercise.

President Bola Tinubu had called for “free and fair primaries devoid of rancour and violence.” The Forum condemned what it described as the commercialisation of the primaries and warned national officers that poor handling could damage the party.

Less than 24 hours before the new date, the list of aspirants cleared to participate had not yet been released.

The Forum claimed it has credible information that national officers are traveling to states, collecting money from aspirants, and promising them APC tickets for the general elections.

On Friday, President Tinubu urged APC members to prioritise unity and sportsmanship in the nationwide primaries, warning that rancorous conduct could undermine the party’s strength ahead of the 2026 general elections.

In a statement signed by Zazzaga, the Forum echoed Tinubu’s admonition but added that national officers should be called to order to stop actions that could lead to a crisis before the general elections.

According to the Forum, state-level feelers indicate that many influential party members feel sidelined by what it calls “self‑centered, commercially motivated actions of party officials.”

The statement reads:

“The North‑Central APC Forum has observed with regret that the forthcoming primary elections have already been monetised by party officials, and that is why they are shifting the date from one day to another.”

“There is no other reason for the shift in date other than it being a direct consequence of the monetisation of the primaries. They don’t want to conduct free and fair primary elections because they have ulterior motives, hence they are shifting the date to concretise their plans.”

“We, the North‑Central APC Forum, are warning the national officers to be careful. They should not kill our party in pursuit of their selfish agenda.”

“We are calling on all the authorities to be very vigilant because the process has already been commercialised and compromised.”

“What they are doing now is sending officials to various states to collect money from aspirants and promise them party tickets instead of making sound arrangements for free and fair primary elections.”

“That is why they have not released the list of those that were screened to participate in the primaries. That is part of the delay tactics they are using to ensure that they give tickets to those they collected money from.”

The Forum cited the situation in Rivers State, where several aspirants linked to the state governor, Sim Fubara, were reportedly disqualified. It said the screening process in Rivers was compromised and that similar situations are occurring in other states. The Forum warned that the party risks destabilisation before the 2027 general elections if national officers are not called to order.