By George OPARA
A group of lawyers under the aegis of Legislative Lawyers Association of Nigeria has declared plans to challenge the outcome of the All Progressives Congress ( APC ) presidential primary, insisting that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu should be disqualified over alleged violation of the Electoral Act.
Tonye Jaja, secretary of the association said it had uncovered serious irregularities in the conduct and figures surrounding the primary exercise.
Jaja said the group had already started formal steps, including correspondence with the Independent National Electoral Commission ( INEC ) under the Freedom of Information Act to obtain relevant electoral records.
He held that the association would not hesitate to take a legal action if the controversial issues were not resolved.
In his words, “We are going to court to say that President Tinubu has not complied with the Electoral Act, therefore he should be disqualified as the APC candidate”.
The group of learned men argued that there were inconsistencies between earlier party membership figures submitted to INEC and the numbers now being cited in relation to the presidential primary.
He further said disparity raises questions about compliance with electoral guidelines governing internal party processes.
“We believe in the rule of law. There is a discrepancy between the registered voter list they submitted to INEC and the number they are parading as voters for the presidential primary”.
Also, the group warned that if INEC fails to take action, it would proceed to court to seek the disqualification of President Tinubu as the APC candidate.
The outcome lends a fresh legal perception to the APC presidential primary, where it was proclaimed to have secured nearly 11 million votes nationwide in the exercise ahead of the 2027 general elections.
But in his reaction, the Director General of the Integrity Group of Nigeria, Oke Idawene, defended the party’s membership figures, insisting that the APC has a large and verifiable membership base across the country.
He interrogated the yardstick used by critics in assessing party strength and voter numbers, explaining that political participation should not be reduced to speculative estimates.
“Who gave the judge the right to tell us how many people entered the APC?
“We are duly registered voters and members of your 2026 period, and APC has complied according to the law,” Idawene added.
He further remarked that the party’s membership strength runs into millions, adding that opposition voices should allow the party to manage its internal affairs.
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