Attention to the General Public growing wave of political tension, premature declarations, media propaganda, and self-styled victory announcements by some aspirants and their supporters following recent affirmation exercises conducted across various constituencies and political structures within the All Progressives Congress (APC).
This clarification has become necessary in the interest of peace, constitutional order, party discipline, internal unity, and democratic stability.
Recent developments and official communication from the National Working Committee (NWC), particularly the directive issued from the national headquarters in Abuja regarding the collation and announcement of National Assembly primary election results, clearly indicate that no state structure or local political group possesses the constitutional authority to independently declare final winners or confer official flag bearer status on any aspirant pending final review and ratification by the appropriate national organs of the party.
For the avoidance of doubt, affirmation exercises remain only one among several internal mechanisms utilized by political parties in managing consensus arrangements, reconciliation efforts, harmonization processes, and internal political coordination. Such exercises, by themselves, do not automatically and permanently translate into final recognition as the officially endorsed candidate or flag bearer of the party.
The official APC directive to National Assembly Primary Election Committees specifically outlines that results are to pass through established stages of ward collation, local government collation, designated constituency collation centres, and eventual submission to the national headquarters in Abuja before any official briefing or final announcement can legitimately occur.
This position alone clearly establishes that the process remains subject to constitutional review, administrative verification, harmonization, reconciliation, and final approval by the competent national leadership of the party.
It is therefore misleading and politically premature for any aspirant, support group, or political bloc to already begin presenting themselves publicly as officially confirmed candidates of the party while the national process remains ongoing.
Unfortunately, certain political actors have already commenced victory celebrations, media appearances, political billboards, public congratulatory campaigns, sponsored propaganda, and coordinated attempts to psychologically pressure the party and create the false public impression that every constitutional and administrative stage of the process has already been concluded in their favour.
Such conduct is not only premature but capable of generating avoidable misunderstanding, escalating tension among party members, deepening internal divisions, and undermining the authority of the party’s national leadership structure.
Political history within Nigeria has repeatedly demonstrated that party processes often undergo further review, reconciliation, legal scrutiny, harmonization, and constitutional consideration before final recognition is granted by national leadership.
What may appear settled at a local or state level may still remain under review at the national level pending official ratification and communication from Abuja.
This is why party faithful and the general public must clearly understand the important distinction between an affirmation process and a final declaration of candidacy.
An affirmation process is merely an internal procedural mechanism usually adopted where consensus arrangements exist or where stakeholders seek to reduce unnecessary conflict among aspirants. Delegates or party members may endorse aspirants through voice votes, signatures, open endorsements, or simplified approval systems, but such exercises remain part of a larger constitutional process that is still subject to ratification by the party’s national organs.
Primary elections, consensus arrangements, affirmation exercises, harmonization reports, and reconciliation agreements all remain subject to constitutional approval and final validation by the national leadership of the party.
No aspirant should therefore deliberately mislead supporters or create public confusion by presenting himself or herself as the officially recognized flag bearer when the constitutional process remains incomplete.
Political parties are institutions governed by rules, procedures, constitutional provisions, and internal administrative structures. No personal ambition should be elevated above party supremacy, institutional stability, collective peace, or democratic order.
At this critical moment, all political actors must demonstrate maturity, caution, restraint, and responsible conduct.
Party leaders must place unity above pressure.
Aspirants must place discipline above ambition.
Supporters must place peace above provocation.
And elected officials must place institutional stability above temporary political excitement.
The desperation to force public acceptance through propaganda, intimidation, emotional pressure, media blackmail, premature celebrations, or coordinated political campaigns does not strengthen democratic legitimacy. Rather, it weakens internal cohesion and creates unnecessary hostility among loyal party members.
The integrity and future of the party remain more important than the personal interests of any individual aspirant or political bloc.
It is equally important to remind all stakeholders that the national leadership of the party retains constitutional authority regarding final validation, recognition, dispute resolution, and official communication concerning candidates and party decisions.
Until official pronouncements are made through recognized national party channels, all political actors are expected to exercise restraint and avoid actions capable of overheating the political atmosphere.
No one should intimidate party members into accepting premature narratives.
No one should suppress legitimate concerns through propaganda.
And no one should create the false impression that affirmation automatically closes every constitutional and administrative stage of the process.
The general public is therefore advised to disregard unauthorized claims, speculative announcements, and politically motivated narratives currently being circulated by individuals attempting to create psychological advantage ahead of official party decisions.
This moment calls for calm, not conflict.
It calls for discipline, not disorder.
It calls for institutional respect, not political desperation.
The strength of any political party lies not merely in electoral victories but in its ability to preserve unity, constitutional order, internal stability, and collective trust among its members.
We therefore urge all aspirants, support groups, party executives, elected representatives, appointees, and loyal members across all political structures to remain peaceful, law-abiding, and respectful of party processes while awaiting final directives and constitutional ratification from Abuja.
History has shown repeatedly that political impatience often destroys relationships, weakens structures, and creates avoidable crises that later become difficult to manage.
Wisdom must therefore prevail over provocation.
Unity must prevail over pressure.
And constitutional order must prevail over desperation.
The party remains committed to fairness, justice, reconciliation, internal democracy, and due process.
No official winner has been conclusively recognized until the appropriate national organs of the party complete all necessary reviews and communicate final decisions through lawful and recognized channels.
Until then, all members are advised to remain calm and avoid actions capable of causing confusion, division, or unnecessary political tension within the party structure.
