APC Group Alleges Coercion in Nasarawa Gubernatorial Primaries

A group within the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Nasarawa State has accused party stakeholders of attempting to coerce ward executives to endorse a preferred gubernatorial aspirant ahead of the party's primaries scheduled for May 21, 2023. Isa Nathaniel, chairman of the Mobilis Team, made these allegations in a press statement on Monday in Lafia, describing the situation as a threat to internal democracy.

He claimed that the actions contradict previous resolutions by APC stakeholders in the state, which adopted direct primaries to ensure transparency and prevent the imposition of candidates. Nathaniel emphasized that such coercion violates the APC constitution, which mandates that ward executives represent party members without undue influence.

He called for the national leadership of the APC to intervene and restore constitutional order, urging the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and security agencies to monitor the situation to prevent breaches of peace. Dr. Aliyu Bello, the state chairman of the APC, reassured party members of a free and fair primary election.