Despite concluding their primary elections over the weekend, aspirants who emerged victorious for elective positions at the various levels are still not certain about their fate as the national secretariat of the parties insist they reserve the prerogative to announce the final lists of candidates.

For many of the parties, our correspondents gathered, the candidates have to be confirmed by their National Working Committees before they will be given tickets and their names submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to contest in the general elections.

So far, neither certificates of return nor party flags have been given to announced winners of the primaries in the states.

Major parties like the All Progressives Congress (APC) the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) have recorded complaints arising from the primaries.

INEC had in its election schedule for 2027, slated between April 23 to May 30, for the conclusion of all primary elections including hearing and clearing of appeals.

Since the deadline falls within non-working days, it is expected that all loose ends would be tidied up soon.

Sources in the parties say the NWCs are taking advantage of the provisions that restrict the role of INEC in primary elections to monitoring to intervene in the announcement of final results.

National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Prof Nentawe Yilwatda, stated recently that no state chapter or electoral committee of the party has the authority to announce winners of the party’s primary elections.

He insisted that only the National Working Committee (NWC) can ratify and officially declare results from the primaries as all the processes conducted across the country must be transmitted to the party’s national headquarters in Abuja, where the NWC will carry out final verification before any winner is officially recognised.

“The states cannot announce winners until the NWC gives its verdict,” he stated during a live television interview.

A former INEC commissioner, Nick Dazang, told our correspondent that the parties insisting that only their national working committees have the final say over the results of their primaries can only be right to the extent that, that is what their parties constitutions say.

“If their party guidelines or constitution say that is the way they should conduct their primaries then they are free to do so because the role of INEC is to observe.

“So it is left to you to find out if that is what their constitutions say to know whether they violated their laws or not,” he said.

The All Progressives Congress (APC) members waiting to cast their votes during the party’s governorship pimary in Lagos State

APC final results out any moment

Our correspondents confirmed that the final lists of the candidates of the APC candidates will be released any moment from now as the results from the states have been transmitted to the national secretariat of the party.

A reliable party source told our correspondent since there were controversies over some of the results of the various primary elections conducted across the states with many aspirants saying the figures being brandished by some of the electoral committees were merely concocted, the NWC had to step in.

When contacted yesterday, a reliable source within the party said the various appeal committees had submitted their reports and that they are being looked into.

He said the reports are still being evaluated and that once that is completed a final result will be sent to the party’s National Working Committee for action.

“The NWC will meet on this any moment from now and once that is done the list will be announced. Even on Monday, you can get the list,’’ the source said.

Our correspondent further reports that there were disagreements across the states shortly after the declaration of the results of the governorship, national and state assemblies’ primaries in some of the states like Nasarawa, Bauchi, Kwara, Oyo, Delta, Kogi and others.

Some of the aggrieved aspirants like former Deputy Senate President, Ovie Omo-Agege, dumped the party alleging irregularities in the exercise.

A retired Inspector -General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar Adamu, who was part of the governorship primary in Nasarawa State also alleged irregularities and dumped the party.

To avert further crisis, the party hierarchy waded in. Our correspondents noted that Article 19 of the APC constitution states that the list of candidates elected at the party primary election, congresses and conventions shall be forwarded, after the disposal of appeals to the National Working Committee of the party for ratification/confirmation as candidates for national/general elections or elected officers of the party, whichever is applicable.

ADC affirms all results except pending appeals

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) on its part said the National Executive Committee NEC of the party has approved the results of all recently conducted primaries for State Houses of Assembly, the National Assembly, state governors, and the presidential elections; except those with pending appeals as at May 29, 2026, and those yet to be concluded.

Our correspondents observed that there were issues over the governorship and senatorial primaries in some states like Ogun, Kano, Bauchi, Benue, Adamawa and others.

With this however, party sources said, most of the announced results of the party would be upheld.

Also when contacted, National Publicity Secretary of the ADC, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, said the list of the governorship and Senate candidates under the ADC will be ready by today.

In the statement signed by Mal. Abdullahi, the party also said that the NEC extended the tenure of the National Working Committee (NWC) under the leadership of Senator David Mark for another 12 months.

Abdulahi said the extension will commence immediately after the end of the current tenure.

NDC still working on final list

Controversy dogged primaries of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) that it had to urge the public to disregard the various results circulating on social media, claiming to be the outcome of the nationwide exercise conducted by the party between May 28th and 29th, 2026.

A statement by the National Publicity Secretary of the party, Osa Director, clarified that the results of the primaries are currently with the National Executive Committee (NEC), which is solely responsible for the official announcement of the results.

“On the order of the national leader of our party, Senator Seriake Dickson, a NEC meeting of the party has been called. Therefore, all members of NEC are to arrive in Abuja for a pre-NEC meeting on Tuesday, June 2nd, while the main NEC meeting will be held on Wednesday, June 3rd, 2026.

“The general public and stakeholders will be availed of the results of our primaries when we send the list of candidates to fly our party’s flag to INEC,” the statement added.

Activist Aisha Yesufu had publicly accused party opponents of rigging and manipulating the primary process for the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Senate seat.

Our list of candidates will be ready after the break – Wik- backed PDP

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) backed by the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike, said their list of candidates will be ready after the break.

When contacted, Jungudo Haruna Mohammed, the National Publicity Secretary of the faction assured that the final lists would not be delayed.

Even the primaries of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) primaries ran into turbulence when aggrieved aspirants and party executives protested widespread irregularities and hijacking of delegate lists.

Protesters from the Oyi and Awka North constituencies of Anambra State allege that delegates who emerged from ward congresses were replaced, resulting in outcomes where popular candidates were dropped in favor of different aspirants.

It is not clear what the position of the party regarding that would be. (Daily Trust)

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