Protest erupts as Kaduna APC aspirants reject primary results

Tensions within the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kaduna State intensified on Tuesday as aggrieved senatorial aspirants and their supporters staged protests over the outcome of the party’s primaries.

The protesters flooded major roads in Kaduna metropolis, including Muhammadu Buhari Way and Ahmadu Bello Way, calling for the cancellation of the exercise across the state’s three senatorial districts.

The demonstration followed the emergence of Sunday Marshall Katung, Ramalan Yero and Shehu Sani as APC candidates for Kaduna South, Kaduna North and Kaduna Central respectively.

Carrying placards with inscriptions such as “There was no APC primaries in Kaduna” and “Give us our preferred candidate,” the protesters accused the party of conducting a flawed process.

The protest was led by former senator Danjuma Laah, alongside other dissatisfied aspirants, including Michael Ayuba Auta and Yusuf Bala Ikara.

Addressing journalists earlier, the group alleged that the party deviated from the direct primary method approved by its National Working Committee, opting instead for what they described as an unauthorised delegate system.

They claimed that many party members were excluded from voting at the ward level, contrary to guidelines, and raised concerns about the conduct of the Kaduna South primary in particular.

The aspirants also alleged inadequate deployment of electoral materials and officials across several polling centres, questioning the credibility of the results.

Citing provisions of the Electoral Act 2022 and the APC constitution, the group argued that the exercise did not meet the required standards for internal democracy.

They called on the APC leadership, its appeal committee, and the Independent National Electoral Commission to intervene and order fresh primaries.

The protesters warned that failure to address the issues could further divide the party and weaken its chances ahead of the 2027 elections, as discontent continues to grow among stakeholders.