There is growing discontent among some members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the National Assembly over indications that President Bola Tinubu has empowered governors of the party to decide who gets its tickets for the 2027 general elections.
The indication emerged last Thursday after a meeting between the President and APC governors, under the aegis of the Progressive Governors’ Forum (PGF), at the Aso Rock Presidential Villa, Abuja.
The meeting was attended by the Imo State Governor and PGF Chairman, Hope Uzodimma; Kwara State Governor and Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, Abdulrahman AbdulRazaq; Gombe State Governor, Inuwa Yahaya; and Borno State Governor, Prof. Babagana Zulum.
Others included the Benue State Governor, Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia; Ekiti State Governor, Biodun Oyebanji; Niger State Governor, Mohammed Bago; and Enugu State Governor, Peter Mbah, among others.
Briefing journalists after the closed-door meeting, Bago said Tinubu had given the governors the mandate to drive the party’s primary process in line with the Electoral Act.
He said, “We came to thank the President for his magnanimity and his support to the governors and our party, the APC.
“He gave us marching orders on what to do for him. He has ceded his executive power to the governors to go ahead and conduct primaries based on the Electoral Act, either through consensus or direct primaries. So, he has reiterated his support for our decision and given us the go-ahead.”
The development came barely 24 hours after the National Assembly leadership, led by Senate President Godswill Akpabio and Speaker Abbas Tajudeen, met with Tinubu, reportedly to seek automatic tickets for federal lawmakers.
Sources who spoke with Leadership said while the National Assembly leadership pleaded the case of its members, the President maintained that governors would have influence over those who would emerge as candidates of the party.
Abbas Seeks Return Tickets For Lawmakers
Speaker Abbas had earlier appealed to Tinubu and state governors to support the re-election of committed members of the National Assembly.
He made the appeal at the national convention of the APC held at Eagle Square, Abuja, late last month.
The Speaker lamented the high turnover of lawmakers, saying it comes at a cost to governance, lawmaking and public resources spent on constant training and retraining.
However, the APC National Chairman, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, in a recent television interview, ruled out automatic tickets for all categories of aspirants ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Several lawmakers, particularly in the National Assembly, are said to be uncomfortable with what they described as a selective reward system that could affect their chances of returning in 2027.
Many of them had reportedly believed that loyalty to the party and the President would guarantee them return tickets.
Party insiders said the decision to empower governors to influence candidate selection in their states had further complicated the chances of some federal lawmakers, especially those with strained relationships with their governors.
A party source said, “There is serious anxiety. Some lawmakers feel sidelined despite their contributions. The idea that a few will get automatic tickets while others face uncertain primaries is causing tension.”
The situation has reportedly triggered intense lobbying, with affected lawmakers reaching out to governors and party leaders to secure their political future.
Some are also said to be considering alternative options, including possible defections, should they be denied the APC ticket.
Strained ties in some states
Some lawmakers fear they could be frustrated out of the race if governors are allowed to determine those who emerge as party candidates.
In some states, second-term governors are said to be eyeing Senate seats after completing their tenure, creating distrust between them and federal lawmakers.
In Ondo State, for instance, Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa is reportedly not on good terms with some lawmakers, especially those who aligned with the late former Governor Rotimi Akeredolu during the succession and re-election politics in the state.
Similarly, in Benue State, federal lawmakers loyal to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, are said to be at loggerheads with Governor Alia.
With the reported empowerment of governors, there are fears that some of the lawmakers may be edged out of APC tickets ahead of the 2027 elections.
