APC National Secretary in Hot Water After Claiming Party’s NWC, Not Primaries, Pick Candidates

By Jeremy Fregene
The National Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Ajibola Basiru, has come under intense criticism after a viral video surfaced showing him allegedly admitting that primary elections do not determine who emerges as the ruling party’s candidates for public office.

The remarks, which have generated widespread debate within political circles, were made during a meeting with party members and have since raised fresh questions about the transparency of candidate selection processes within the APC.

Speaking in Yoruba language in the video, Basiru appeared to dismiss the significance of party primaries, insisting that the ultimate decision on candidates rests with the party leadership and national secretariat rather than with delegates or party members participating in the electoral exercise.

According to him, claims that candidates emerge through primary elections are largely cosmetic, as the names eventually submitted for elective positions are determined by the party hierarchy.

“If you claim candidate(s) did not win primaries, who will upload the name(s)? It is mere child’s play,” Basiru was heard saying.

He went further to state: “We don’t hold primaries in our party. We pick those that we want to pick. The claim of a winner of a primary is false.”

The comments have attracted sharp reactions, particularly because Nigeria’s electoral laws require political parties to nominate candidates through recognised democratic processes, including direct, indirect or consensus primaries conducted in accordance with the law and monitored by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Critics argue that if Basiru’s comments accurately reflect the APC’s internal practices, they could raise serious legal and ethical questions regarding the integrity of the party’s nomination process.

In the same video, the APC scribe reportedly asked a former lawmaker whether he emerged through a primary election, to which the politician allegedly replied that he was selected from inside the Government House, drawing laughter from some participants at the meeting.

However, a statement issued after the gathering focused largely on preparations for the forthcoming governorship election and Basiru’s appeal for unity within the party.

He cautioned APC members against insulting or antagonising civil servants, describing them as influential stakeholders whose support could prove crucial at the polls.

“Civil servants are enlightened people. They are respected in their communities, and people listen to them because they understand governance and leadership,” he said.

Basiru also appealed to workers not to hold the APC responsible for controversial statements made by individual politicians, stressing that such comments did not represent the official position of the party.

At the same time, he warned party members against complacency ahead of the election, insisting that electoral victory would only come through hard work, grassroots mobilisation and reconciliation among aggrieved stakeholders.

“I don’t believe in automatic victory. There is nothing like that in politics. We must work in every ward and every polling unit, and we must appeal to those who are aggrieved,” he stated.