Tension has continued to trail the recently concluded primary elections of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Plateau State as dissatisfied aspirants formally lodged complaints before the party’s Election Appeal Committee.
The aspirants are challenging the credibility of the exercise, alleging that the primaries in some constituencies were marred by irregularities and failed to reflect democratic standards.
Among those spearheading the protest are Diket Plang, Chris Giwa, Gyang Zi and I.D. Gyang, alongside several other party contenders.
The aggrieved aspirants made their position known while addressing journalists in Jos, where they expressed disappointment over the conduct of the party primaries across some parts of the state.
According to them, there were constituencies where delegates were allegedly denied the opportunity to vote before winners were announced.
They accused some officials involved in the process of failing to adhere strictly to the guidelines governing the conduct of the primaries.
Senator Plang, who spoke on behalf of the group, maintained that the process fell short of expectations and did not reflect the principles of fairness and transparency expected in a democratic exercise.
The aspirants further claimed that some contestants were allegedly compelled to step down under questionable arrangements not properly recognized by party procedures.
They argued that such developments weakened confidence in the process and created dissatisfaction among party members and supporters.
Consequently, the group appealed to the national leadership of the APC to intervene by cancelling the disputed primaries and conducting fresh exercises in the affected constituencies.
The protesters, however, insisted that their actions were not aimed at creating division within the party but rather at protecting the integrity and credibility of the APC ahead of future elections.
Political observers say the dispute may pose a challenge to party unity in Plateau if the grievances raised by the aspirants are not properly addressed in the coming days.
