Kunle Adelabu
The All Progressives Congress (APC), in Lagos State, has announced that a direct primary system would be adopted as the first option for electing candidates of the party for the 2027 General Elections, which is in line with the provisions of the Electoral Act.
State Chairman of the party, Pastor Cornelius Ojelabi, in a statement also revealed that the party is not ruling out the possibility of adopting the consensus approach where such is agreed upon.
“We congratulate the leaders and members of our party on the successful hosting of our National Convention which concluded the election of the officers of our party in its various segments. I thank you all for your support, resilience and sacrifices in bringing this glory to our party.
“Now that the convention is over, our main focus is the process of electing the candidates who will fly our party‘s flag in the next election. As usual, this will be done in strict compliance with the INEC timetable and in accordance with the 2026 Electoral Act (as amended) and other laws governing elections.”
The APC state chairman stressed, “In line with the provisions of the Electoral Act, the party will adopt DIRECT PRIMARIES as the first option for electing our candidates. However, consensus arrangements will also be encouraged where possible, provided such agreements are freely reached and popularly accepted by all interests.”
While stating that all the elective positions are open to contest, the state chairman warned interested participants that money paid for nomination and administrative fees will not be refunded.
He, however, assured the party faithful the process would be free and fair, but added that special considerations would be given to popular female aspirants.
“I wish to state categorically that all the available positions are open for contest as the party has no anointed candidate for any seat. We, therefore, encourage all members who wish to contest any of the positions to do so in accordance with the law. However, it is important to note that the party will NOT REFUND the nomination and/or administrative fees to any aspirant.
“As a progressive party, we will give all members a level-playing field to contest the positions of their choice in a free, fair and transparent manner that will produce the real representatives of the various constituencies.
“Furthermore, in line with our party’s commitment to inclusivity and gender equity, special consideration will be given to popular and influential female aspirants in relevant constituencies to promote their participation and contribution to the process
“Therefore, all interested members should play by the rules as we will not engage in imposition of candidates and neither will we influence the outcome of the primaries.
“As a party of structure, we remain committed to upholding the principles of internal democracy and, thus, encourage everyone to play his part with dignity and honour. Therefore, while we await the official guidelines on the primaries from our national body, we urge all members to, as usual, conduct themselves with decorum, discipline, and mutual respect.”
