The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Nentawe Yilwatda, has declared that no state chapter or local electoral committee of the party has the constitutional authority to announce winners of the party’s ongoing primary elections, insisting that only the National Working Committee (NWC) can officially ratify and declare results.
Yilwatda made the clarification on Sunday during an appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today programme aired on May 25, 2026.
Speaking during the live interview, the APC chairman stated that all results from the primaries conducted across the country must first be transmitted to the party’s national headquarters in Abuja for verification and final approval by the NWC before any aspirant can be formally recognized as a winner.
“The states cannot announce winners until the NWC gives its verdict,” Yilwatda said, stressing that the party’s constitution and internal electoral guidelines reserve the final authority for declaration of primary election winners to the national leadership.
The directive effectively invalidates several results already announced by state chapters and local collation committees following the recently concluded APC primaries across parts of the country.
The development comes amid mounting controversies surrounding the conduct of the party’s primaries in several states, with accusations of irregularities, manipulation and lack of transparency emerging from aggrieved aspirants and political blocs.
In Cross River State, some aspirants reportedly rejected the outcome of the exercise, alleging that the process was compromised and failed to meet acceptable standards of fairness.
Meanwhile, Ned Nwoko, who had earlier declared victory in his contest, also alleged that the process was manipulated against him despite what he described as a legitimate mandate from delegates.
Political observers say the latest intervention by the APC national leadership could trigger renewed tension and political lobbying within the ruling party as aspirants await the final decisions of the National Working Committee.
The APC has yet to release an official comprehensive list of validated winners from the primaries as of press time.