The Chairman of the ruling All Progressive Congress, APC in Lagos State, Pastor Cornelius Ojelabi has declared that the party shall elect candidates that would flag the party in different positions with inclusiveness and transparency.
Ojelabi in a press release on Wednesdaycongratulated the leaders and members of the party on the successful hosting of the National Convention which concluded the election of the officers of the party in its various segments.
The APC chairman in the press statement said :
“I thank you all for your support, resilience and sacrifices in bringing this glory to our party.
“Now that the convention is over, our main focus is the process of electing the candidates who will fly our party‘s flag in the next election. As usual, this will be done in strict compliance with the INEC timetable and in accordance with the 2026 Electoral Act (as amended) and other laws governing elections.
“In line with the provisions of the Electoral Act, the party will adopt DIRECT PRIMARIES as the first option for electing our candidates. However, consensus arrangements will also be encouraged where possible, provided such agreements are freely reached and popularly accepted by all interests.
“I wish to state categorically that all the available positions are open for contest as the party has no anointed candidate for any seat. We, therefore, encourage all members who wish to contest any of the positions to do so in accordance with the law. However, it is important to note that the party will NOT REFUND the nomination and/or administrative fees to any aspirant.
“As a progressive party, we will give all members a level-playing field to contest the positions of their choice in a free, fair and transparent manner that will produce the real representatives of the various constituencies.
“Furthermore, in line with our party’s commitment to inclusivity and gender equity, special consideration will be given to popular and influential female aspirants in relevant constituencies to promote their participation and contribution to the process
“Therefore, all interested members should play by the rules as we will not engage in imposition of candidates and neither will we influence the outcome of the primaries.
“As a party of structure, we remain committed to upholding the principles of internal democracy and, thus, encourage everyone to play his part with dignity and honor. Therefore, while we await the official guidelines on the primaries from our national body, we urge all members to, as usual, conduct themselves with decorum, discipline, and mutual respect.
“Long live APC , Long live Nigeria”, the statement said.