By Sandra Ugwu

The National Working Committee (NWC) of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has directed committees conducting House of Representatives primaries across the country to stop announcing candidates and instead submit their reports to the party’s national headquarters in Abuja.

According to an internal memo dated May 17 and signed by the APC National Organising Secretary, Suleiman Mohammed Argungu, state committees were instructed to suspend media briefings and follow the party’s established procedures for collation and submission of results.

The memo stated that primary election results should pass through ward, local government and constituency collation processes before being forwarded to the party headquarters.

“Accordingly, no committee is permitted to conduct media briefings within their respective states of assignment. Any official briefing, where necessary, shall be conducted exclusively in Abuja after the submission of all results,” the memo read.

A source close to the party leadership said the decision followed complaints and concerns raised by stakeholders in different states over the conduct of the primaries.

Efforts to obtain official reactions from APC National Chairman, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, National Publicity Secretary Felix Morka, and other party officials were unsuccessful as of the time of filing this report.

The directive comes amid rising tension in Ondo State where members of the seven-man National Assembly Primary Election Committee reportedly became divided over the conduct of the House of Representatives primaries.

Sources within the party alleged that disagreements among committee members stalled the process amid claims of pressure to declare some aspirants as winners, including individuals earlier disqualified by the party.

Reports indicated that the committee secretary, Adamu Mohammed Shamaki, and two other members returned to Abuja, leaving some committee members behind in Akure.

The crisis was said to have prevented the announcement of additional results after only a few candidates were reportedly declared winners in their constituencies.

Questions were also raised over the participation of some previously disqualified aspirants in the exercise and the presence of APC National Youth Leader, Dayo Israel, at the collation centre despite not being a member of the committee.

Meanwhile, the APC primaries have produced significant political shifts across several states, with dozens of serving members of the House of Representatives reportedly failing to secure return tickets for the 2027 general elections.

Among those affected were lawmakers from Benue, Jigawa, Cross River, Imo, Rivers, Ondo and other states, highlighting the scale of political changes emerging from the party’s internal contests.

In Benue State, Governor Hyacinth Alia was said to have strengthened his influence within the party structure following the primaries, while several allies of Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, reportedly lost their tickets.

Elsewhere, the exercise was overshadowed by violence in Plateau State, where a resident identified as Sani Abdullahi was reportedly killed after security personnel allegedly opened fire following a protest over delays in the commencement of a primary election exercise.

The incident has sparked calls for an investigation and justice for the deceased.