Nnaji Charles: APC Must Resolve Primary Election Disputes Before 2027 Polls

APC stakeholder says unresolved irregularities and disputed primary results could create deeper divisions ahead of the general elections.

APC stakeholder Nnaji Charles has warned that unresolved disputes arising from the party’s primaries could weaken internal unity and create major challenges ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Speaking during an interview on ARISE News while reacting to a court judgement affecting the electoral timetable and party primaries, Charles said the ruling provides political parties with an opportunity to correct irregularities and harmonise internal disagreements before the elections proper.

“APC must resolve primary election disputes before 2027 polls,” he said.

According to Charles, many of the challenges that emerged during the APC primaries were partly caused by pressure to meet deadlines set within the electoral timetable.

“The primaries threw up challenges here and there,” he stated.

He explained that the judgement now gives political parties additional time to address grievances and reconcile aggrieved aspirants through internal party mechanisms.

“We should be able to harmonise and get things done properly,” he said.

Charles emphasized that unresolved internal disputes could damage party cohesion and weaken electoral chances during the general elections.

“If we go into the election with this, there will be challenges,” he stated.

According to him, some of the declared results from the APC primaries did not reflect what genuinely happened on the ground.

“This is not a reflection of the people’s choice,” he said.

Charles specifically referenced concerns surrounding the APC Abia Central Senatorial District primaries, where he alleged that electoral officials visited only a limited number of wards before announcing final results.

“They only visited just a handful of places out of the 62 wards,” he stated.

According to him, many party members questioned how certain results were generated and announced.

“We wondered where they got these results from,” he said.

Charles claimed that some announced figures were inflated and lacked proper verification.

“They inflated the results that were announced,” he stated.

He also questioned the role of certain individuals involved in announcing results during the primaries.

“The person who announced the result was not part of the committee,” he said.

According to Charles, the party must urgently address such irregularities to avoid entering the general elections divided and internally weakened.

“You go to the polls as a united party, not one with divisions,” he stated.

Charles maintained that although APC remains Nigeria’s leading political party, it also carries greater responsibility to strengthen democratic standards within its own internal processes.

“As the biggest political party in Africa today, a lot of other parties look up to us,” he said.

He stated that flawed primaries within major political parties could damage public confidence in democracy itself.

“It’s about strengthening democracy in Nigeria,” he stated.

Charles also urged opposition parties to learn from the controversies surrounding the APC primaries and improve their own internal electoral processes ahead of 2027.

“These are things that may happen,” he said while discussing lessons other parties could draw from the APC experience.

Despite the irregularities he stated, Charles expressed optimism that the additional time created by the court ruling would help political parties resolve disputes before the general elections.

“Most of those challenges will be addressed appropriately,” he stated.

Charles concluded that political parties, particularly the APC, must urgently resolve disputes and irregularities arising from their primaries, warning that unresolved internal divisions could undermine party unity, electoral credibility, and democratic confidence ahead of the 2027 general elections.