Following some complaints and disharmony arising from the just concluded primaries of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Imo State chapter, Governor Hope Uzodinma has appealed to aggrieved aspirants who lost out during the exercise to accept the outcome of the primaries and see it as a sacrifice they offered for the stability of the party.

He urged them and other party faithful to concentrate on how to ensure the APC has a successful outing in the 2027 elections.

The Governor made the appeal during a post-primary stakeholders meeting convened by the party leadership aimed at assuaging frayed nerves following the aftermath of the primaries.

Addressing party leaders, candidates and former aspirants, Uzodinma congratulated the party on the just-concluded exercise, which he described as a success, while urging members to put the contests behind them in the interest of party unity.

He stressed that while every election produces winners and losers, members must remain committed to the collective interest of the party and the development of the State.

“There is no contest without winners and losers. What is important is how we conduct ourselves after the contest. We must remain united because the interest of the State and our party is bigger than any individual ambition,” the governor said.

Uzodinma called on party faithful to intensify grassroots mobilisation and voter registration efforts ahead of 2027, expressing confidence that APC would record overwhelming victories in the State.

Earlier in his speech, the State Chairman of the party, Austin Onyedebelu, commended members for their peaceful conduct during the primaries, describing the exercise as evidence of the political maturity of party members.

He congratulated successful candidates and urged those who did not secure tickets to remain loyal to the APC, noting that politics is a journey and future opportunities remain open to committed party members.

Onyedebelu used the occasion to call on those who contested the primaries to collapse their structures into the party mainstream ahead of the general elections.

The meeting ended with a unanimous pledge by stakeholders, candidates and former aspirants to remain united and mobilise support for APC candidates at all levels, including President Tinubu, in the 2027 general elections.

Former presidential aspirant of the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) and leader of the YMK Nigeria Project Movement, Yakubu Muhammed Kingsley, has called for the immediate disqualification of former Cross River State Governor Donald Duke from the party’s presidential primary election held on May 25, 2026.

Kingsley also demanded the nullification of all votes and results arising from the exercise and urged the party to declare him the lawful winner of the primary election.

The demand was contained in a petition signed by his counsel, A.A. Muhammad, and addressed to the national chairman of the PRP, Dr Hakeem Baba-Ahmed. A copy of the petition was obtained by DAILY POST. 

According to the petition, Kingsley maintained that he was a valid member of the party, legally purchased the nomination form, complied with all constitutional requirements, and successfully participated in the party’s screening process.

The petition alleged that Donald Duke was not a lawful and duly registered member of the PRP as of the mandatory membership cut-off date and was unlawfully introduced into the primary election process.

It further claimed that Duke neither participated in the party’s screening exercise nor satisfied the mandatory membership qualification requirements as stipulated by relevant provisions of the Electoral Act 2022 and regulations of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

The petition also alleged that votes credited to Duke were based on unlawful accreditation, over-voting, and inflated returns, arguing that the figures announced exceeded the number of eligible party members contained in the register submitted to INEC.

Meanwhile, the women leader of the YMK Nigeria Project Movement, Dr Maryam Abdullahi Ringim, called on supporters of the movement across the country to remain steadfast despite recent developments.

She urged Nigerians who share the movement’s vision not to be discouraged but to remain united, focused, and committed to the ideals of justice, good governance, and national transformation.

According to her, the aspirations of millions of supporters remain valid and relevant, stressing that the struggle for a better Nigeria must continue through democratic means.

Ringim further called on members nationwide to remain organised and hopeful as efforts continue to strengthen the movement.

She also urged party members to remain calm while awaiting the response from the national headquarters.

A chieftain of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, Kenneth Okonkwo, has alleged that the Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, is owned by President Bola Tinubu.

Okonkwo said this while fielding questions during an interview on Symfoni TV.

He alleged that the party was registered when its national leader, Seriake Dickson, met with Tinubu.

According to him, the party’s presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has been trapped, accusing Rabi’u Kwankwaso of insincerity with Obi.

“NDC is Tinubu and the All Progressives Congress, APC, political party. It’s now that Peter Obi is even more trapped.

“Can’t you see? They were not to be registered until I heard it from the Obidients’ mouths that there was a meeting between Dickson and Tinubu, and then, they registered NDC.

“After the registration, what happened? INEC said they were not qualified to be registered, and they went to court. That’s how it came, by court order.

“A party that has not been existing. Meaning INEC was compelled to register them. Peter Obi said they were invited by NDC. Meaning NDC was registered to lure him, and then he ran with it. Now he has entered their trap,” Okonkwo said.