APC primaries delay sparks tension in Adamawa as party members await officials and aspirants raise concerns

The All Progressives Congress direct primaries for House of Representatives seats in Adamawa State suffered delays on Saturday following the absence of officials expected to conduct the exercise in several wards.

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Party members in parts of Girei, Yola North and Yola South local government areas were still waiting for the commencement of the primaries as of 10:45 am when correspondents visited the affected locations.

Some members expressed concern that the exercise might not hold as scheduled amid growing uncertainty surrounding the process.

A party member in Girei Local Government Area, James Koh, alleged that officials assigned to supervise the exercise had yet to arrive in Adamawa State.

“We learnt that those to conduct the primaries are still in Abuja,” Koh said.

The APC Secretary in Girei Ward 1, Alhaji Salihu Dalatu, also confirmed that members of the election committee were yet to appear at the ward.

“You can see voters hanging under tree shields waiting for the commencement of the exercise, we are hopeful it will take place as scheduled,” Dalatu stated.

The APC primaries delay has further heightened existing tensions within the party over allegations of planned candidate imposition ahead of the 2027 general elections.

When contacted, the Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress in Adamawa State, Victor Dogo, dismissed fears surrounding the delay and insisted that election officials had already been deployed across the state.

According to him, the delayed commencement was intentional to ensure wider participation by party members.

“It is a deliberate action not to start early, so that people are not left out of the exercise, so tell them to be patient, the primaries will certainly take place as stipulated by the timetable of the election,” Dogo said.

The APC primaries delay comes barely a day after a forum of House of Representatives aspirants accused some party leaders of attempting to impose preferred candidates through consensus arrangements.

Speaking on behalf of the forum on Friday, Mr Vrati Nzonzo urged party leaders to guarantee transparent and credible primaries across the state.

“Since consensus has failed across the eight federal constituencies of Adamawa State, the Forum calls on the party to conduct free, fair, and credible primaries across all 226 wards of the state to enable the Party present popular and credible candidates for the 2027 elections that would make the party victorious,” Nzonzo said.

The forum further alleged that some aspirants had been pressured by influential party figures to withdraw from the contest in favour of preferred candidates.

Members of the group also appealed to the party leadership to strictly adhere to the Electoral Act and the APC constitution in order to prevent internal disputes ahead of the 2027 elections.

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Political observers say the handling of the primaries could significantly shape internal unity within the party as preparations intensify for the next electoral cycle in Adamawa State.