The member representing Degema/Bonny Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Hon. Cyril Hart, has dismissed interpretations of a recent court judgement, insisting it has no impact on the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidates ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Hon Hart, in a statement issued on Monday June 1, 2026 clarified that the APC conducted direct primaries for the nomination of its candidates, a process that does not require endorsement from party executives.
“The APC nomination form has no provision for Party Executive endorsement or signing,” he said. “Nominators who signed the forms were ordinary party members who paid their dues.”
The lawmaker drew parallels with the presidential nomination, noting that President Bola Tinubu’s form was signed by party members, not executives. “It was the same across all levels. That is the beauty of direct primaries,” he added.
According to Hart, 120 party members, armed with proof of payment of dues, signed nomination forms for National Assembly, Governorship, and State Assembly positions.
“No party executive, including Sir Tony Okocha, collected, issued, or validated any nomination form for any aspirant during the APC primary elections,” he emphasised.
He maintained that the judgement, regardless of how it is interpreted, cannot affect any APC candidate because the process followed the principles of direct primaries.
His clarification comes amid growing debates over the validity of APC primaries following the court ruling. Hart urged party faithful to remain focused, describing the direct primary system as transparent and democratic.
