Kaduna APC primaries crisis deepens as aggrieved senatorial aspirants protest

The crisis following the senatorial primaries of the All Progressives Congress in Kaduna State deepened on Tuesday as hundreds of supporters of aggrieved aspirants staged a protest against the outcome, alleging widespread irregularities and violations of party guidelines.

The protesters, who stormed major streets in Kaduna metropolis, including the ever-busy Muhammadu Buhari Way, formerly known as Waff Road, leading to the Ahmadu Bello Way (NEPA roundabout), demanded the cancellation of the primaries conducted across the three senatorial districts of the state.

The protest followed the emergence of Senator Sunday Marshall Katung, former Governor Ramalan Yero and former Senator Shehu Sani as winners of the APC senatorial tickets ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The demonstrators carried placards bearing inscriptions such as, “There was no APC primaries in Kaduna,” “Give us our preferred candidate,” and “APC must save democracy.”

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

Earlier, at a press conference held at the Kaduna State Council Secretariat of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, the aggrieved aspirants warned that they would seek legal redress should the party fail to address their complaints.

Speaking on behalf of the group, Laah accused the party of abandoning the direct primary system approved by the APC National Working Committee.

He said, “The National Working Committee officially approved direct primaries for the exercise, but what was conducted was an unauthorised delegate system.”

The protesters alleged that party members were denied the opportunity to vote at the ward level in line with the approved guidelines.

The group particularly faulted the Kaduna South senatorial primary, which produced Katung as the winner, alleging a lack of transparency and proper monitoring during the exercise.

“A Senator, Sunday Marshall Katung, was illegally declared winner with over 7,500 votes purportedly cast by delegates despite the absence of proper voting procedures and party officials across the district,” the group alleged.

The aggrieved aspirants further claimed that electoral materials and officials were not adequately deployed across several wards and polling centres during the primaries.

According to them, the conduct of the exercise contravened Section 84 of the Electoral Act 2022 and Article 20 of the APC constitution, which relate to nomination procedures and internal democracy.

They therefore called on the APC National Working Committee, the party’s appeal committee and the Independent National Electoral Commission to intervene and order fresh primaries across Kaduna North, Kaduna Central and Kaduna South senatorial districts.

Among those identified by the group as aggrieved aspirants were former Speaker of the Kaduna State House of Assembly, Yusuf Zailani, Mohammed Mu’azu Makkadas and several other contenders from the three senatorial zones.

The protesters warned that the party leadership’s failure to urgently address their grievances could undermine unity within the APC ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The APC senatorial primaries held in Kaduna State on Monday produced a mix of serving and former political heavyweights as candidates for the 2027 elections.

Katung retained the Kaduna South ticket, former Governor Yero clinched the Kaduna North ticket, while Shehu Sani emerged winner of the Kaduna Central senatorial primary.

However, the outcome of the exercise has continued to generate controversy within the party, with several aspirants alleging manipulation, exclusion of members and non-compliance with the approved mode of primaries.