President Bola Tinubu has directed the 31 All Progressives Congress (APC) governors to ensure free, fair, and conflict-free party primaries across states, stressing that the process must align with the Electoral Act to maintain party unity. The directive was given during a closed-door meeting at State House, Abuja, attended by at least 18 APC governors, including Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq and Niger State Governor Mohammed Bago. AbdulRazaq, who also chairs the Nigeria Governors' Forum (NGF), said the president endorsed the states' right to adopt either consensus or direct primaries as permitted by law and delegated authority to the governors to conduct the exercises. Bago confirmed that Tinubu gave final approval for the primaries to proceed and emphasized the need for a peaceful, transparent process that strengthens the party ahead of elections.
The APC has released a revised timetable for its 2027 primary elections. Presidential primaries are now set for Saturday, May 25, 2026, while governorship primaries will hold two days earlier on Thursday, May 23. The initial date for the presidential primary was May 15. Deputy National Publicity Secretary Durosinmi Meseko announced the changes after a National Working Committee meeting, stating that the new schedule had been communicated to INEC and state chapters. Sale of expression of interest and nomination forms runs from April 25 to May 2, with submission of completed forms due by May 4. Screening of aspirants for legislative and gubernatorial positions takes place from May 6 to 8, while presidential aspirants will be screened on May 9. Screening results will be published May 11, appeals handled May 12–13, and primaries for Senate, House of Assembly, and governorship set for May 18, 20, and 21 respectively.
Tinubu urged governors to uphold unity through fair primaries while simultaneously stepping back from direct control, yet the revised timetable shifts key dates without public explanation, leaving room for speculation. The change in presidential primary date from May 15 to May 25 affects aspirants' planning, including those who may have already mobilized resources based on the original schedule. Governors and aspirants now operate under a timeline altered at the last minute, despite calls for transparency and predictability. This adjustment, made after the president delegated authority, creates a disconnect between the message of trust and the reality of centralised timing decisions.
💡 NaijaBuzz is an AI-assisted news aggregator. This content is curated from third-party sources — NaijaBuzz is not the original publisher and is not responsible for the accuracy of source reporting. The NaijaBuzz Take is AI-assisted editorial opinion only, not established fact. All persons mentioned are presumed innocent until proven guilty by a court of competent jurisdiction. NaijaBuzz does not endorse the views expressed in source articles.
