Primaries: Niger APC Chieftain Resigns, Another Condemns Process

A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Niger State and one-time commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism, Hon. Jonathan Vatsa, has said the recent primary to elect candidates of the party to the National Assembly was poorly handled

His reaction came on the heels of the resignation of a foundation member of the party and former commissioner for Science and Technology, Abubakar Katcha, as a fallout from the primary.

LEADERSHIP reports that the exercise had been trailed by negative reactions from members of the party, who alleged that irregularities marred it.

Vatsa said the party failed to learn from previous administrations in the country, stressing that “the APC is on a mission to self-destruction”.

He expressed dismay over the outcome of the entire exercise, pointing out that it left behind allegations, disappointmentand widespread questions about credibility.

Vatsa, who was the founding publicity secretary of the party in the state, said it was a “political manipulation of the century” because “many of the aspirants are now lamenting the outcome.

“All that we campaigned against in 2015 that earned us the confidence of the Nigerian electorate, we are now doing worse than that, and this is quite unfortunate.”

As a pioneer member of this Party, I never envisaged this level of high-level manipulation that characterised the primaries so far. It is unacceptable”, Vatsa declared.

Vatsa advised that the Party must embark on genuine fence-mending and reconciliation to avoid anti-party sentiment during the main elections, saying that “What we have right now is far from the people’s choice, that is why we must go back to the grassroots to engage the people before the general elections”.

Meanwhile, a foundation member of APC in the state, Abubakar Katcha, has announced his resignation from the Party in a letter addressed to the party Chairman of Katcha Ward, Katcha local government of Niger State, dated 19 May 2026 and made available to Journalists in Minna.

Alhaji Katcha said that he resigned his membership of the Party in Katcha Ward with immediate effect because the last Senatorial primary election in Niger South did not reflect the Party’s internal democracy.

“This decision follows the events of the Niger South Senatorial primary held on 18 May 2026, which did not reflect internal democracy”, he stated.