A fresh crisis has erupted within the All Progressives Congress in Kaduna State following allegations of irregularities and manipulation surrounding the party’s primary election for the Jaba/Zangon Kataf Federal Constituency.
Aspirant Abraham Katung has formally rejected the outcome of the exercise, describing the process as illegal, undemocratic, and contrary to the provisions of the Electoral Act 2022.
Headlineswave.ng gathered that Katung alleged that party officials deliberately refused to conduct the promised direct primaries in Zonkwa despite massive turnout by party members eager to vote.
He was quoted to have said that:
“They refused to do primaries in Zonkwa. People came out for me to vote, and they refused to come with the materials,”
The aggrieved aspirant further claimed he possesses pictorial evidence showing party supporters and registered APC members already queued up and prepared to participate in what they believed would be a direct primary election before officials allegedly failed to appear with voting materials.
According to Katung, the process eventually adopted by the party violated Section 84 of the Electoral Act, which recognises only direct primaries or consensus arrangements agreed to by all aspirants.
In a petition dated May 16, 2026, cited by headlinewave.ng and addressed to the APC National Chairman and the party’s Primary Election Appeal Committee, Katung accused some party officials of intimidation, coercion, and imposing a predetermined candidate on the constituency.
He also argued that the process ignored the wishes of ordinary party members across the 21 wards making up the federal constituency.
The aspirant maintained that he enjoys broad grassroots support, claiming to have secured the backing of over 11,000 registered party members prior to the disputed exercise.
Katung is now demanding that the APC leadership nullify the alleged indirect primary, investigate claims of manipulation and intimidation, and either recognise him as the rightful candidate or conduct a fresh direct primary election under an impartial panel.
As of the time of filing this report, the Kaduna State chapter of the APC had yet to officially respond to the allegations.
Headlineswave.ng reports that the controversy may further deepen internal tensions within the APC in Southern Kaduna ahead of the general elections.
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