APC says candidate changes followed appeal process
The All Progressives Congress has defended its decision to substitute some candidates after its primaries, insisting that the changes followed the party’s internal appeal process and did not breach the Electoral Act.
The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, said this on Tuesday while responding to allegations that the APC replaced candidates arbitrarily or handed tickets to people who did not take part in the primaries.
Speaking during an interview on ARISE NEWS, Morka said the party received more than 720 petitions from aspirants who were dissatisfied with the outcome of the primaries.
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He explained that the petitions were reviewed by appeal committees before recommendations were forwarded to the National Working Committee, which also carried out its own assessment before approving changes where necessary.
According to him, the substitutions were legitimate outcomes of the party’s primary election process.
Morka argued that party primaries do not end with voting, saying the appeal stage is part of the entire process and provides an opportunity to address complaints and correct any irregularities.
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He also dismissed claims that the APC gave tickets to individuals who neither bought nomination forms nor participated in the primaries, saying he was unaware of any such case.
The APC spokesman acknowledged that some aspirants remained unhappy with the outcome but said every petition received careful consideration before decisions were reached.
He added that the party had begun engaging aggrieved aspirants to assure them that the process was transparent and that no candidate was favoured unfairly.
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Morka also rejected claims that the review process was manipulated for political interests, maintaining that the party’s internal mechanisms were designed to resolve disputes arising from the primaries.
On preparations for the next general election, he said the APC remained confident of victory, citing its performance in elections held since the 2023 general election.