President Bola Tinubu has reportedly authorized the 31 governors of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to determine the fate of aspirants in their respective states ahead of the 2027 general election. This move, aimed at preserving party unity and cohesion, emerged from a closed-door meeting between Tinubu and APC governors.
During the meeting, Tinubu reaffirmed the party’s decision to allow states to adopt either consensus or direct primaries in line with the Electoral Act. Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, who chairs the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, confirmed that the president ceded his executive power to the governors to conduct primaries. This development has sparked anxiety among federal lawmakers, particularly those not aligned with their state governors.
Lawmakers had previously met with Tinubu to request automatic tickets, but the president insisted that governors hold sway over aspirant selection. A House of Representatives member from the South-East noted that there is still time to resolve concerns through internal party mechanisms, adding that it is premature to conclude that lawmakers have been sidelined.
Political analyst Sumner Sambo, Political Editor at Arise News, revealed that some federal lawmakers regret their decisions, having counted on automatic tickets rather than facing primaries. He stated that many lawmakers now realize their support for executive policies may not guarantee nominations, with some admitting they would not have defected to the APC had they known automatic tickets were not assured.
Communication expert Nduka Odo from Peaceland University criticized Tinubu’s directive as a threat to democratic principles. He questioned whether democracy exists when governors decide who contests, warning that the move could tighten control within the party hierarchy. Odo added that the Electoral Act’s restrictions on party defection at this stage make the situation more difficult for affected politicians.