APC gov primary: Setback for Adeola as Hunye rejects Ogun result 

The victory of Senator Olamilekan Adeola in the Ogun State governorship primary of the All Progressives Congress (APC) may have suffered a major setback following the rejection of the result by fellow aspirant, Abayomi Hunye, who described the outcome as flawed and unacceptable.

Hunye faulted the declaration by the party’s primary committee that he scored zero votes while Adeola emerged winner with 304,055 votes, insisting that results collated by his agents across the 236 wards indicated that he actually won the exercise with 453,765 votes.

The development is already fueling fresh controversy within the Ogun APC and raising questions over the credibility of the primary process.

Declaring his intention to challenge the outcome through constitutional and legal channels, Hunye said the announcement of zero votes for an aspirant who purchased forms, was screened by the party, mobilised supporters and actively participated in the election defied logic and undermined democratic principles.

In a statement issued by his campaign organisation, Hunye maintained that the figures announced by the committee could not be accepted as the true reflection of votes cast by party members.

“We categorically reject any attempt to present the announced figures as conclusive proof of a free, fair, credible, or uncontested democratic exercise because information made available from our party agents in all the 236 wards shows that our candidate had 453,765 votes compared to Senator Olamilekan Adeola’s 304,055 votes,” the statement said.

The campaign also alleged widespread irregularities during the exercise, including intimidation, harassment and restrictions that allegedly prevented genuine participation in several areas.

“It is therefore difficult to reconcile the narrative of a transparent and competitive direct primary with widespread complaints and reports from supporters concerning intimidation, harassment, restriction of participation, disruption of mobilisation efforts, and circumstances that allegedly prevented genuine voting opportunities in several locations,” the statement added.

Hunye’s camp further pointed to what it described as inconsistencies between results allegedly recorded at some local levels and the final figures eventually declared by the committee.

The aspirant insisted that his move was not only to reclaim what he described as his lawful mandate, but also to defend transparency, internal democracy and justice within the APC.

APC Names Fubara, Other Governors As Coordinators For Presidential Primary

The ruling All Progressives Congress has appointed Rivers State Governor, Sim Fubara, alongside several serving and former governors, as coordinators and collation officers for its forthcoming presidential primary election.

The party also confirmed that it has adopted the direct primary mode for the exercise, allowing all registered party members across the country to participate in the election process.

According to a document released by the APC National Secretariat in Abuja, the direct primary election is scheduled to hold simultaneously in all the 8,809 wards nationwide on May 24, 2026.

The document stated that the appointed coordinators and collation officers would oversee the organisation and conduct of the exercise in their respective states, while also collating results from all local government areas before forwarding them to the Presidential Primary Election Committee in Abuja.

“The organisation and conduct of the direct primary in each of the 36 states and the FCT shall be the responsibility of the State Coordinator and Collation Officer, who shall also collate the results of all the local governments in the state and present the same to the Presidential Primary Election Committee in Abuja, FCT on 24 May, 2026,” the document read in part.

The statement, signed by APC National Secretary, Ajibola Basiru, further noted that the guidelines for the conduct of the exercise would align with the party’s earlier procedures submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission on May 15, 2026.

The APC explained that the provisions contained in its “Procedure for the Conduct of Direct and Consensus Mode of Primaries” would apply to the presidential primary election across the federation.

The development signals the party’s readiness to commence internal processes ahead of the 2027 general elections, with governors and key party stakeholders expected to play strategic roles in coordinating the nationwide exercise.

APC Names Fubara, Other Governors As Coordinators For Presidential Primary

INEC Timetable Nullification: ADC Predicts Mass Defections From APC

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has said that the nullification of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) timetable will trigger mass defections from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) .

A Federal High Court in Abuja had on Thursday, May 21, 2026, voided the electoral body’s strict timetable on political party primaries and other pre-election activities.

The court, presided over by Justice Mohammed Umar, held that INEC lacked the statutory power to fix or prescribe the timeframe within which political parties must conduct their primaries for the nomination of candidates for the 2027 general elections.

The ruling came in a suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/517/2026, filed by the Youth Party against INEC as the sole defendant.

Justice Umar declared that the timelines earlier issued by INEC were inconsistent with the provisions of the Electoral Act, 2026, which remains the supreme legal framework governing election conduct in Nigeria.

“The decision of the court on these issues, including those that directly contradict the Constitution, is therefore a welcome vindication of our position,” the party said in a statement by its spokesman, Bolaji Abdullahi.

The ADC added that the ruling, which removed the impediment placed by the guidelines on politicians who wish to seek alternative platforms to contest elections, was a positive development that promotes freedom of association.

“We believed at the time that that particular restriction was designed to prevent people from leaving the ruling party, APC,” the ADC stated.

“Now that the court has ruled against it, we are sure that, in the coming days, we will witness a mass exodus from the ruling party.”

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The party welcomed the ruling of the court, viewing it as a vindication of its vehement objections to key aspects of the electoral body’s guidelines at the time they were issued.

The ADC also recalled its specific objections to the strict timelines on party membership registration, as well as the conduct of party primaries, which it had argued were designed to stifle competition and entrench the ruling party’s advantage.

The court’s judgment nullified key portions of INEC’s Revised Timetable and Schedule of Activities for the 2027 General Elections.

The court ruled that the electoral body exceeded its powers by shortening timelines expressly guaranteed under the Electoral Act, 2026.

Specifically, the court declared that INEC cannot lawfully abridge or limit the statutory 120-day period for political parties to submit candidates’ particulars.

INEC also cannot shorten the 90-day window for withdrawal and substitution of candidates, or the 60-day minimum period before publishing final candidate lists.

The judge consequently set aside the portions of INEC’s Revised Timetable that were found to be inconsistent with the Electoral Act, 2026.

At the heart of the dispute is the interpretation of Sections 29, 31, 32, 33, 82, 84(1) and 98 of the Electoral Act, 2026, which outline timelines for candidate nominations, substitutions, party primaries and campaign activities.

The court held that while INEC retains powers to supervise and observe party primaries, those powers do not include altering statutory timelines enacted by the National Assembly.

Speaking earlier at the launch of the Rise Up Naija Movement (RUN) at the party’s National Secretariat in Abuja, Abdullahi had declared that the ADC represents the future of politics in Nigeria.

He said the party is built on the philosophy of egalitarianism where conversations are tolerated.

Abdullahi expressed confidence that the only thing holding the APC together today is power.

“When you take political power, government power out of APC, you don’t have a political party,” Abdullahi asserted.

The ADC’s prediction has been echoed by other stakeholders across the political spectrum.

The Movement for Credible Election (MCE) described the judgment as a victory for internal democracy and wider political participation.

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The National Coordinator of MCE, Wale Okunniyi, said the ruling would particularly benefit opposition parties by giving them more time to negotiate alliances, accommodate defectors, resolve internal disputes, and strengthen their structures before the elections.

Okunniyi added that politicians who feel shortchanged in their parties now have enough time to move to other platforms and pursue their ambitions without being unfairly locked out by artificial deadlines.

Similarly, the President of the Yoruba Ronu Leadership Forum, Akin Malaolu, claimed that several aggrieved members of the ruling APC who were dissatisfied with the outcome of the party’s recent primaries had already begun exploring alternative political platforms, including the African Democratic Congress.

Malaolu argued that the judgment would reduce post-primary tension and anti-party activities within the APC.

He explained that aggrieved aspirants now have more time to defect legally and participate in other parties’ processes without being shut out by INEC deadlines.

The Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) also welcomed the judgment, stating that the ruling restores critical responsibilities that political parties believe were previously taken over by INEC.

The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Muhammed Bello Ishaq, said the ruling broadens the scope for political parties to make decisions independently.

Ishaq added that it removes what he described as “unhealthy regimentation” of party activities.

The embattled Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) also welcomed the judgment.

Its spokesperson, Ini Ememobong, described the verdict as a major affirmation of the rule of law and internal democratic rights of political parties.

Ememobong said the verdict would strengthen democratic practices and allow political parties adequate room to organize their internal processes.

The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) escalated the matter by calling for the resignation of INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan.

HURIWA alleged that the court ruling had further deepened concerns over the electoral body’s neutrality.

National Coordinator of HURIWA, Emmanuel Onwubiko, said INEC must immediately comply with the judgment and adjust its electoral schedule in line with the court’s pronouncement.

Reacting to the judgment, former presidential candidate and business mogul, Dr. Gbenga Hashim, described it as a victory for the rule of law and constitutional order.

Hashim specifically applauded Justice M.G. Umar for what he termed a courageous and principled decision that checked administrative overreach.

“I have consistently argued that INEC must act within the confines of the Electoral Act,” Hashim stated.

“Unfortunately, those warnings were not heeded. This judgment has now vindicated that position.”

He urged INEC to fully comply with the judgment and ensure that future electoral guidelines strictly conform to the provisions of the law.

The Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP) also urged INEC to immediately revise its 2027 election timetable in line with the court ruling.

The Acting National Chairman of CUPP, Peter Ameh, said the ruling expands democratic space by restoring party autonomy over internal processes that INEC had sought to regulate through its timetable.

According to CUPP, the exemption of substitution primaries from the strict timelines of the Electoral Act stands out as a major gain of the ruling.

The nullification of the 21-day membership register submission requirement is another key victory.

The affirmation that INEC cannot unilaterally shorten the statutory windows for candidate submission is also a significant win for opposition parties.

As of the time of this report, official court documents and a certified true copy of the judgment were yet to be publicly released.

INEC had not issued an official response to the development as of press time.

The decision is expected to compel INEC to undertake an immediate review of its election schedule to align it with the Electoral Act.

This could potentially reshape the political landscape ahead of the 2027 polls.

Political campaigns are expected to commence in August 2026.

The ruling provides opposition parties and aggrieved politicians within the APC a renewed window of opportunity to reorganize, form strategic alliances, and prepare for what promises to be a highly competitive election cycle.

INEC Timetable Nullification: ADC Predicts Mass Defections From APC