We Have Conflict Resolution Mechanisms No Other Party Has – APC Chairman

We Have Conflict Resolution Mechanisms No Other Party Has – APC Chairman

LAGOS — The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Professor Nentawe Yilwatda Goshwe, has said the party already has systems in place to settle disagreements that may come up after its primary elections, assuring that aggrieved members would be reconciled ahead of the 2027 general elections.

He spoke after meeting with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the President’s residence in Lagos on Wednesday, where he briefed the President on the ongoing nationwide primaries. Yilwatda said the APC has conflict resolution committees that will help reconcile unhappy members and prevent crises before the 2027 general elections. According to him, it is normal for some aspirants to feel disappointed after losing elections, but the party will begin an early reconciliation process to keep members united ahead of campaigns.

Yilwatda explained that the APC operates a structured conflict management framework designed to manage internal disagreements and sustain cohesion within the party. “Definitely we’re going to have some aggrieved party members after this primary election. We have an internal conflict resolution mechanism that has prevailed over a period,” Yilwatda told journalists after the meeting. He identified two key committees responsible for managing post-primary disputes: The Presidential Conflict Resolution Committee – a high-level intervention body, and The Party Conflict Resolution Committee – operating at the national level to handle grievances.

The chairman said the party has worked to reduce crises as much as possible across states. “Everywhere, if you lose an election, it is not a rare thing. We manage people as much as we can,” he said. “Emotions and sentiments exist when expectations are not met. We ensure an early healing process so we can emerge victorious across the country in 2027.”

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Yilwatda described the ongoing APC primaries as the most competitive in Nigeria’s history, saying thousands of people are contesting for a limited number of positions because of the party’s growing popularity across the country. “The assessment is very simple. You can see how competitive our party has turned out to be. Just simple demand and supply. We have few positions and we have thousands of people who have come to vie for these positions across the country. The most competitive ever in the history of Nigeria,” he said.

The chairman framed the intensity of the contests as proof of the APC’s nationwide penetration and popularity. “It shows how APC has penetrated all communities in Nigeria and how it has been accepted by Nigerians and how every facet of Nigeria wants to be a member of APC,” he stated. He also said the primaries have been mostly peaceful and organised, despite a few complaints from some aspirants. “I also want to thank our supporters for the disciplined approach they’ve given these processes. It’s near rancour-free, very organised, with little complaints. It’s usual for people to complain in election processes, but it’s near perfect,” he said.

On concerns about consensus candidates, Yilwatda explained that the party followed its rules. He said where consensus fails, the party conducts direct primaries. “Our guidelines on consensus are clear. Our guidelines on direct primaries are also clear. Where consensus doesn’t work, you go for direct primaries. That’s what people are doing across the states,” he explained. He added that aspirants involved in consensus arrangements must sign forms agreeing to step down for chosen candidates. “You must sign off those consensus forms that you’ve stepped down. You agreed on a consensus candidate before the process takes place. That’s what we’re following in the guidelines,” Yilwatda said.

The Electoral Act 2026 makes provision for two methods of primaries — either through consensus or direct primary — ruling out the option of indirect primary. The APC leadership had initially preferred the consensus option as less cumbersome in terms of logistics, but where a chapter fails to reach an agreement, direct primaries are conducted.

Speaking about President Tinubu’s reaction, Yilwatda said the President was impressed with the conduct of the primaries, especially the logistics and the low number of incidents recorded nationwide. “The President was very impressed with the logistics we deployed across the country, the tactics we’ve used also. He has also been very impressed with the reduced number of incidents that we have across the country. He’s happy with what we’re doing,” Yilwatda said.

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President Tinubu had earlier exhorted party members to ensure a transparent and peaceful primary process, emphasizing the importance of fairness across the 360 constituencies. He viewed the primaries as a crucial test of the party’s unity and democratic principles, urging members to uphold the party’s founding values of progressive politics, consensus, sacrifice, and selflessness. The President warned against divisive behaviour, stating: “We cannot afford rancorous conduct or the debasement of our democracy and party unity.” He advised winners to be magnanimous and losers to accept outcomes gracefully, emphasizing that political success is a collective achievement for the party.

Yilwatda noted that this is the first time the APC is organising direct primaries across the country on such a large scale, with result sheets and logistics similar to those used by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). “This is the first time that we’re deploying a nationwide direct primary process. We printed our result sheets and put in place logistics exactly like what INEC does,” he said. The nationwide deployment of direct primaries this cycle marked a significant step and indicated improvements in the party’s organisational capacity. Yilwatda credited members’ discipline for leading to “limited conflicts” during the process.

The direct primary system, mandated by the Electoral Act 2026, allows every registered party member to participate in candidate selection rather than relying solely on delegates. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) instructed its Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) to monitor these primaries, as 19 out of the 20 registered political parties submitted their election schedules. The APC’s primary election timeline included House of Representatives candidates elected across 8,809 electoral wards nationwide on May 16, senatorial candidates on May 18, House of Assembly primaries on May 20, governorship primaries on May 21, and the presidential primary scheduled to conclude the process on May 23.

Despite Yilwatda’s assurances, the APC primary elections in some states have been marred by controversy. No less than 10 aspirants across various states have rejected the outcome of the primaries, insisting that the processes were marred by irregularities. In Ekiti State, House of Representatives aspirant Teju Okuyiga officially rejected the outcome of the APC primary election held on May 16 for Ekiti South Federal Constituency II, describing the shadow election as a complete “sham” that entirely failed to meet the minimum benchmark required for a free, fair, and credible democratic exercise.

The lawmaker alleged that party officials manipulated the process and disregarded electoral guidelines during the primary. “The exercise was a sham and fell far short of the minimum standards for a free, fair, and credible party primary,” Okuyiga stated. She alleged that results were announced in several wards where no voting took place, and that no election occurred in most wards across the three local government areas in the constituency.

In Ekiti North Senatorial District, senatorial aspirant Otunba Oluwadare Owolabi called for the cancellation of the APC primary election, citing alleged irregularities and violence during the exercise. According to him, there was no proper accreditation and votes were not counted appropriately. He alleged that officials deployed to supervise the election were government employees, compromising the neutrality of the exercise, and accused organizers of deliberately disrupting the venue, creating panic among party members and supporters. “I consider what happened an act of terrorism against democracy,” Owolabi maintained.

A reliable source at the party’s national secretariat in Abuja confirmed that an appeal committee has been set up to receive complaints arising from all categories of the primaries. The source said aggrieved aspirants who called the national headquarters to complain were referred back to appeal committees in their respective states. The committees are expected to act on the complaints, adding that in a situation where they cannot resolve a case, such will then be referred to the party’s leadership. However, reports indicated that even as of Wednesday, issues remained unresolved in many states.

Yilwatda also thanked Tinubu for supporting the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) and backing efforts to enforce party rules. The chairman expressed confidence that the party’s internal mechanisms would successfully resolve post-primary disputes, allowing the APC to focus on the 2027 general elections. He said the party has worked to reduce crises as much as possible across states, describing the primaries as a logistical success and crediting members’ discipline for the limited conflicts recorded during the process.

“The party has worked to reduce the crisis as much as possible. We ensure an early healing process so we can emerge victorious across the country in 2027,” Yilwatda said. He noted that major voting blocs, including Kano and Katsina, remain firmly aligned with the APC, which he described as key strongholds for the party ahead of the 2027 elections.

We Have Conflict Resolution Mechanisms No Other Party Has – APC Chairman