The National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Felix Morka, has defended the party’s decision to substitute certain candidates following its primaries.
Speaking during an interview on ARISE NEWS on Tuesday, Morka asserted that no aspirant who failed to participate in the primary process was declared a winner, countering allegations that the party had arbitrarily replaced candidates.
Morka revealed that the party received over 720 petitions from aggrieved aspirants after the primaries. According to the APC scribe, these petitions underwent a rigorous review by appeal committees and a final evaluation by the National Working Committee (NWC).
“We received over 720 petitions from those who contested in that election. These petitions were reviewed by the appeal committees. Recommendations were made to the National Working Committee. But the National Working Committee of our party, in its wisdom, also took responsibility to review the reports of the appeal committees and to re-evaluate those cases. And at the end of them, we made those changes that you are discussing. So these are legitimate outcomes of our primaries,” he said.
Addressing claims that the party violated the Electoral Act through these substitutions, Morka argued that the primary election process inherently includes dispute resolution.
“Primary election is a process. It’s not an event. The appeal process is an integral part of the primary election process. It’s not a separate process, and it’s not a process invented by the party to cause mischief,” he explained.
Morka categorically denied allegations that tickets were awarded to individuals who did not purchase nomination forms or participate in the screening and voting phases.
“I’m not aware of any such case that you are alluding to about those who didn’t participate, who never bought forms, who were not screened, who didn’t participate in primaries, all of a sudden handed tickets. Look, I’m not aware. If you have any such example, please mention it, and I will go back and do my own investigation,” he stated.
While acknowledging that some aspirants remained dissatisfied, Morka maintained that the party’s internal mechanisms were designed to ensure transparency.
He emphasized that the review process was not arbitrary or driven by personal interests, noting that the party has begun engaging aggrieved members to reassure them of the integrity of the process.
“What we say to them is that everyone cannot be flag bearer. Our engagements are already on to reach individuals like this, to reassure them that this is not personal. Nothing has been done that is arbitrary. Nobody has just been favoured with tickets,” Morka added.
Regarding the party’s outlook on the upcoming general election, Morka dismissed suggestions of anxiety within the APC.
“All the elections conducted in this country since the 2023 general elections, we have won them, including the most recent elections we won massively, bigly, to use the words of Donald Trump. We are working hard to win the next election, like we’ve won in all the by-elections. The idea that we’re afraid, that is utterly ridiculous. We are working hard to win the next election,” he concluded.
