As the date set by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the conduct of party primaries inches closer, the process for the selection of candidates is assuming a new dimension as the All Progressives Congress (APC) appears bent on deciding its candidates.
The parties, going by INEC timetable, are supposed to conduct their primaries between April 23 to May 30, 2026. More than a week to the official date for the commencement, however, our correspondents have observed a recurring trend in the ruling party, where the predominant option has been by consensus though analysts have raised concerns about the process.
Though the primaries for Ekiti and Osun off-cycle elections holding this year have already been concluded, the processes through which the candidates emerged have raised concerns.
In Osun, the immediate past chairman of the Nigeria Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) Bola Oyebamiji emerged as the candidate of the party after an initial rejection by one of the major aspirants, Senator Iyiola Omisore.
Omisore and six others were disqualified to pave way for Oyebamiji, leading to Omisore challenging his disqualification in court.
In Ekiti, four aspirants, Oyebanji, Mrs Atinuke Oluremi Omolayo, Engr Kayode Ojo, and Mrs Abimbola Olajumoke Olawunmi initially sought the APC ticket but the state governor, Abiodun Oyebanji, clinched the ticket to seek a second term in office through a consensus arrangement after Mrs Omolayo stepped down.
Since then, the APC seems to have adopted a pattern where influential members of the party are allowed to cajole, coax or intimidate other aspirants to bury their aspirations for some chosen persons.
About a week to the official commencement of primaries, no less than three APC states have made their preferred candidates known either directly or through third parties.
Apart from that, the party has long given the indication that it has already made concession to governors who defected from other parties to the APC, to offer them tickets for second term as this was said to be part of the agreement reached with them to get them into the ruling party.
Defectors to the party include: Governors of Delta, Sheriff Oborevwori; Plateau, Caleb Muftwang; Akwa Ibom; Umoh Eno; Enugu, Peter Mbah; Kano; Abba Kabir Yusuf; Zamfara, Dauda Lawal; Taraba, Agbu Kefas and Rivers, Siminalayi Fubara.
This is already causing ripples in the state chapters of the party as those who had made huge investment to contest the seat before the agreements were made to allow the defecting governors automatic ticket are grumbling, Weekend Trust gathered.
In states like Kano and Plateau, the arrangement did not go down well with party stalwarts initially who saw the coming of the sitting governors as capable of altering the arrangements on ground, while in Rivers, the atmosphere is still not clear as Fubara does not appear to be part of the deal to secure an automatic ticket, as despite his defection, he is yet to be formally received into the party.
Our correspondents report that what is going in states where the party is either in opposition or where the governors are not seeking second terms are even more fierce.
The Electoral Act 2026 (as amended) states under Sections 84–88, that parties can elect their candidates either through direct primaries or consensus, setting aside the option of voting through party delegates.
Many members of the party have, however, challenged what is going on within the APC. They prefer the direct primaries option as they say consensus is open to manipulation.
Former chairman of Kajuru Local Government Area of Kaduna State and an APC stalwart, Cafra Caino, is against applying the consensus option across board.
He said using consensus across board for governorship, National Assembly seats, and others, can create problems.
“If the APC wants to avoid trouble going into 2027, it needs to be careful about how candidates emerge at the lower levels. Direct primaries, for all its challenges, tends to produce better outcomes.
“People feel involved. When members can actually vote in primaries, they are more likely to stay committed to the party and its candidates,” he stated.
He added: “Consensus often leaves people unhappy, even if they don’t say it openly. That kind of dissatisfaction usually shows up later during campaigns or even on election day.”
Previous push for automatic tickets
Our correspondents had previously reported a push by National Assembly lawmakers for automatic tickets where several meetings were reportedly held between the leadership of both the Senate and the House of Representatives and the APC leadership regarding the request.
A source familiar with the meetings told Weekend Trust that while there have been “fruitful deliberations,” talks will continue early next week before the commencement of the primaries.
The source added that APC leaders want due process and fair play to supersede any other considerations to avoid unnecessary legal tussles or defections by aggrieved aspirants, which could hurt the party’s chances at the polls.
This stance reportedly did not sit well with some lawmakers, who insisted they deserved automatic tickets for their loyalty and commitment to the Tinubu administration.
Some of the states currently embroiled in the consensus issue are; Nasarawa, Adamawa, Lagos, Oyo, Ogun, and others.
Wadada’s endorsement splits Nasarawa APC
Aspirants under the APC banner seeking the Nasarawa State governorship, having spent years mobilising for the party’s ticket ahead of 2027 are yet to accept fully the decision by the governor, Abdullahi Sule, to endorse Senator Ahmed Aliyu Wadada.
Others like ex-IGP Mohammed Adamu Abubakar, Dr. Faisal Shuaib, Professor Sani Haruna, Shehu Tukur, Tanimu Adamson, Abubakar Nalaraba, Mohammed Maikaya, Hassan Liman and Abu Giza have either opposed the governor’s decision or are yet to come up with a clear position on the matter. Musa Ahmed Mohammed, however, said he has no problem with the endorsement.
Party faithfuls anticipating the selection process saw Governor Sule hold several meetings with key stakeholders, including former governors Abdullahi Adamu and Tanko Al-Makura, to chart a path forward. The governor was said to have met with aspirants from Nasarawa West Senatorial District and later with political appointees, where he disclosed his decision to back Senator Wadada as his preferred candidate.
Sule told the aspirants he would not bar anyone from contesting and promised a free direct primary, the method adopted by APC stakeholders in the state. Sources at the meeting said none of the aspirants immediately pledged to withdraw or support Wadada.
Wadada was said to have secured the support by going through his parents who prevailed on the governor to choose him.
Former APC chairman for Keffi Local Government Area, Mohammed Bello Yakubu, in viral video, disclosed that he had it on good authority that the governor succumbed due to interventions by Wadada’s parents.
An aspirant, Ahmed Mohammed, addressed his supporters in Lafia and asked them to accept the governor’s decision in good faith and support his choice. In contrast, Isa Nathaniel, chairman of the retired IGP, Adamu Campaign Committee on Contact and Mobilization, said the development not surprising.
He said, “The governor knows that Wadada cannot win an election in Nasarawa State. Nasarawa is not for sale. Nasarawa cannot be inherited. There is a process, and people will choose,” warning that if the APC “folds its arms and allows him to go this way,” the party risks becoming opposition in Nasarawa politics.
An APC member and Wadada supporter, Attama Ibrahim Abdullahi, described Sule’s endorsement as a decision that should be “welcomed wholeheartedly,” noting it reflects democracy and party affiliation.
Nasarawa APC chairman, Aliyu Bello, affirmed the party’s support for Sule’s decision, calling it “preference, not anointment.” He said the governor consulted widely for two to three years and that the seven Western zone aspirants gave Sule the mandate to pick from among them after failing to agree on a particular person.
Lagos: Between lobbying and endorsement
Though it’s not yet official, the race for the APC governorship ticket of Lagos State, appears to have been narrowed down to the current deputy governor, Obafemi Hamzat.
Hamzat’s recent engagements with influential stakeholders, particularly within the Governance Advisory Council (GAC), a council of elders of the party and the highest decision making organ of Lagos APC are seen as strategic moves to consolidate support ahead of the party’s primary election.
This is coming amid speculations of his endorsement as the consensus flag bearer of the party ahead of the 2027 governorship election.The consultative visits to the GAC was considered a strategic move to secure the backing of party’s leaders and elders in the state.
Hamzat had visited the chairman of GAC, Prince Tajudeen Olusi and other GAC members, including Senator Anthony Adefuye; former Speaker of the Lagos House of Assembly, Adeyemi Sabit Ikuforiji, among others.
The Deputy Governor presented his economic and governance blueprint during these consultations, positioning himself as a continuity candidate who can build on the state’s existing development trajectory.
However, the political landscape is becoming increasingly competitive with the re-emergence of former governor, Akinwunmi Ambode, whose renewed consultations and subtle political signals have heightened the contest.
Ambode’s return to the scene is viewed by analysts as a potential disruptor, capable of reshaping alignments within the party.
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