The All Progressives Congress (APC) has defended its decision to substitute some candidates following its primary elections, insisting the changes were lawful and part of the party's internal appeal process.
Speaking during an interview on ARISE NEWS on Tuesday, APC National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, dismissed allegations that the party arbitrarily replaced candidates or handed tickets to individuals who did not participate in the primaries.
According to Morka, the party received more than 720 petitions from aggrieved aspirants after the primaries. He said the petitions were reviewed by appeal committees before recommendations were forwarded to the National Working Committee, which subsequently approved changes where necessary.
He maintained that the substitutions were legitimate outcomes of the primary election process.
Morka argued that the primary election process extends beyond voting, describing the appeal mechanism as an integral part of the exercise rather than a separate process.
The APC spokesman also denied claims that the party awarded tickets to people who neither purchased nomination forms nor participated in the primaries, saying he was unaware of any such case.
While acknowledging that some aspirants were dissatisfied with the outcome, Morka said the party carefully examined every petition before reaching its decisions and had begun engaging aggrieved members to reassure them that the process was transparent and not driven by personal interests.
He further rejected suggestions that the review process was manipulated to favour certain political interests, insisting the party's internal mechanisms exist to address irregularities that may arise during primaries.
On preparations for the next general election, Morka expressed confidence in the APC's chances, citing the party's victories in recent by-elections as evidence that it remains well-positioned for future contests.
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