By Dayo Johnson Akure

An advocacy group, Transparency and Intelligence Watch, has cautioned President Bola Tinubu against pressure from some APC leaders to return National Assembly members who lost tickets at the party’s recent direct primaries.

The group’s President, Barrister Joel Adelakin, and Secretary, Princess Margaret Ikechukwu, gave the warning while addressing journalists in Ondo town.

They said any attempt to impose the affected lawmakers — reportedly 54 — would subvert the democratic will of party members who voted during the nationwide exercise.

Many serving lawmakers, including some who recently defected to the APC, failed to secure return tickets at the primaries held last month.

Adelakin described those urging the President to reverse the outcomes as “enemies of democracy,” warning that such a move could hurt Tinubu’s chances in the 2027 general elections.

“All elections are local,” he said. “The grassroots have spoken through the direct primaries. Any attempt to override their choices will not only alienate party loyalists but hand undue advantage to the opposition.”

The group alleged growing discontent among APC governors, especially in the South-West, over perceived attempts by presidential handlers to alter primary results.

It claimed the Vice President and key Lagos stakeholders were also dissatisfied with moves to replace winners with serving lawmakers rejected by party members.

“These are the same people who will determine the outcome of the general elections,” Adelakin said. “If their mandate is disregarded, protest votes could significantly affect the President’s re-election bid.”

Transparency and Intelligence Watch named Lagos, Ondo, Benue, Ekiti, Delta and Borno as potential flashpoints if the party leadership tampers with results.

In Lagos, the group alleged internal discontent over candidate selection. In Delta, it said prominent political figures were aggrieved over the outcome. Benue, it added, showed a clear divide between lawmakers with strong grassroots ties who won, and those seen as disconnected who lost.

It praised lawmakers who maintained regular contact with constituents despite security challenges, saying that engagement earned them renewed mandates. Those who failed to maintain constituency ties were rejected by voters, it said.

The group warned that reintroducing such candidates through imposition could trigger voter backlash against the APC in affected states.

It also raised concerns about Ogun State, alleging that political manoeuvres displaced preferred candidates, a move it said could provoke electoral resistance.

On Ondo State, the group urged the President to respect primary outcomes that produced candidates like Dr. Taiwo Fasoranti, insisting the integrity of the process must be preserved.

“He should not allow his handlers to pressure him into imposing rejected candidates,” the group said. “Doing so would undermine internal democracy and weaken the party’s credibility.”

The group urged Tinubu to uphold fairness, internal democracy and respect for grassroots participation, warning that any deviation could have far-reaching political consequences.