The campaign organisation of Hon. ESV Sani Abdulkadir Dakace, an aspirant for the House of Representatives seat representing Igabi Local Government Federal Constituency, has raised concerns over delays and alleged irregularities in the conduct of the All Progressives Congress (APC) direct primary election in Kaduna State.
Addressing journalists on Friday at the APC Kaduna State Secretariat, the official venue for the distribution of election materials, the campaign organisation described the situation as “serious and unacceptable,” alleging that party officials responsible for supervising and distributing primary election materials were absent despite the early arrival of accredited representatives.
According to an official jointly signed statement by Ibrahim Dahiru Danfulani Sadaukin Garkuwan Keffi/Betara Biu and the Publicity Secretary of the ESV Sani Abdulkadir Dakace Campaign Organisation, the group stated that its representatives had been at the party secretariat since 6:00am waiting to receive election materials, but no officials had appeared to commence the process.
The statement further claimed that thousands of registered APC members and voters had gathered across designated wards and polling units in Igabi Local Government Area in anticipation of the direct primary election, but were left stranded as election officials and materials failed to arrive.
The campaign organisation maintained that the APC guidelines clearly stipulate that the primary election should be conducted through a direct voting process at the ward level, allowing all card-carrying party members to vote for their preferred aspirants.
It added that agents had already been deployed by the Dakace campaign to monitor proceedings in line with party regulations, while results were expected to be collated from ward level to the state level under the supervision of officials deployed by the APC National Secretariat.
The organisation expressed concern that the delay and absence of officials could undermine the integrity and fairness of the exercise.
The statement warned that any injustice during the primary election process could erode members’ trust in the party, weaken the legitimacy of eventual candidates, trigger internal conflicts, damage democratic processes, and reduce public confidence in the APC ahead of future elections.
It stressed that flawed or manipulated primaries could create long-term divisions within the party and undermine its electoral strength.
The campaign organisation called on the APC national leadership to urgently intervene by ensuring the immediate release of election materials and deployment of credible officials to conduct the exercise without further delay.
It also urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), which it noted was participating as an observer, to closely monitor the situation and ensure compliance with party guidelines and democratic principles.
The group reaffirmed Hon. ESV Sani Abdulkadir Dakace’s commitment to a free, fair, and transparent primary process, insisting that the campaign would reject any outcome allegedly tainted by injustice or manipulation.
