2027: Confusion hits APC over guber primaries

•Oyo’s consensus drive runs into a hitch, as Tinubu mediates
•Nasarawa to adopt direct primaries as Govs weigh options

The All Progressives Congress (APC) is yet to firm up a clear mode by which it would determine the governorship candidates of the party in the 28 states that would be participating in the February 6 governorship elections, sources close to the party have said.

Out of the nation’s 36 states, eight would be involved in off-season elections, leaving 28 to compete in the forthcoming governorship election, which would be held on February 6, 2027.

While the Electoral Act 2026, passed by the National Assembly, has already stipulated the adoption of either direct primaries or consensus option for the determination of the candidates, it was gathered that confusion has set in to the operations of many state chapters of the party in the determination of governorship candidates.

 Mostly affected, according to sources, are the states whose governors are completing their second term of eight years. Though 10 Nigerian states have governors who are completing two terms of eight years, eight of them are controlled by the APC. They include Lagos, Ogun, Yobe, Borno, Adamawa, Gombe, Nasarawa, and Kwara.

Sources indicated that the governors who are leaders of the parties in the states have continued to keep the aspirants guessing because the final signals are yet to be released by the party’s national headquarters.

A source said that the situation would take on different dimensions in different states.

For instance, it was gathered that Nasarawa State has decided to adopt direct primaries in view of what a source called the interest of certain heavyweights in the ticket. It was gathered that, though there is no formal zoning formula in the state, the incumbent attempted to foist one, but was resisted by interested aspirants, forcing him to throw open the contest, while he is said to be secretly pushing a candidate he is interested in.

The case of Oyo State is, however, different as the state is one of the two states with two-term governors that is not currently governed by the APC.

Without a governor or a rallying point for the APC in Oyo State, the situation is said to have become dicey as many heavyweights have shown interest in the governorship ticket.

READ ALSO: Perspective on Lagos APC primaries

Though former Senate Leader, Senator Teslim Folarin, has been named the Renewed Hope Ambassador for the state, he has continued to fuel his governorship ambition, alongside the Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu. Each of the duo has contested the governorship of the state on different occasions, with each of them scoring over 300,000 votes each time. Adelabu represented the APC in 2019, while Folarin picked the party’s ticket in 2023.

But the release of a consensus list of candidates by sources close to the party, which indicated that Senator Sharafadeen Ali, representing Oyo South Senatorial District, had been picked as the consensus candidate, was said to have triggered another round of tension within the party.

A source stated that the “Unity Rally”, which the party originally planned to hold on Thursday, April 9, was shelved because of the tension being generated by the released consensus list.

Besides the alleged adoption of Senator Alli as the consensus governorship candidate on the list, the allocation of some senatorial tickets and House of Representatives seats to some candidates was also said to be generating tension within the APC.

A source stated that the party would be unable to hold the “Unity Rally” until such time as the issues are properly resolved.

Though some top members of the party were seen visiting President Bola Tinubu in Lagos last week, a source stated that a conclusion has not been reached “as the different caucuses have only been marketing their wares to the president.”

While most first-term governors are already guaranteed automatic tickets, except Rivers, over which ongoing discussions are still being held, according to the governors of the eight states whose governors are set to complete their second term are said to be weighing options while reading the lips of the authorities in Abuja.

“I can tell you that most of the aspirants are only guessing, especially the governorship aspirants. Only the governor of Nasarawa State has come out to state that the party would adopt direct primaries. All others are still weighing options. Some of the governors are being careful not to offend the Villa with their choices, So you can see that many of the governors are already seeking an audience with the president. Some are going through the National Chairman of the party to feel the pulse of the presidency,” a source stated.