APC Ticket Dispute: Governments and Aspirants Clash Over Alleged Imposition

By Clifford Ndujihe, Omeiza Ajayi, Ibrahim Hassan-Wuyo, Emmanuel Iheaka & Idris Salisu

Ahead of the commencement of the primaries, which will start with the House of Representatives, the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) is confronting a highly contentious internal phase as it prepares for the 2027 elections. Candidates are confronting governors over claims that consensus flag‑bearers are being imposed.

While governors are backing a consensus arrangement for President Bola Tinubu’s return ticket, aspirants in several states are resisting similar arrangements for governorship and legislative positions. This dispute prompted the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) to abandon a blanket consensus push and to issue materials for direct primaries.

Yilwatda’s warning

Against this volatile backdrop, National Chairman Professor Nentawe Yilwatda issued a stern warning to all aspirants: behave appropriately or face suspension.

“The leadership of the party would not tolerate any act capable of disrupting the smooth conduct of the primaries,” Yilwatda said through his Special Adviser on Media and Information Strategy, Abimbola Tooki.

He added: “Any aspirant or supporter found instigating violence, sponsoring unrest, engaging in anti‑party activities, or attempting to undermine the integrity of the process will face severe disciplinary measures, including immediate suspension from the party.”

Invoking the larger interest of the party and the nation, the chairman urged aspirants to act with maturity and accept outcomes gracefully.

“In every democratic contest, only one person will ultimately emerge victorious. What is important is the spirit with which the process is approached. I urge all aspirants to display maturity, patriotism, and good sportsmanship by embracing the outcome of the primaries in the overall interest of the party and our democracy,” he said.

Govs close ranks on Tinubu

Before the primaries, the 31 APC governors collectively endorsed a consensus arrangement for Tinubu’s return as the party’s presidential flag‑bearer.

Senator Hope Uzodimma, Chairman of the Progressive Governors’ Forum and Imo State Governor, made the declaration in Abuja when the President’s nomination and expression of interest forms were submitted. “In furtherance of that resolution and in making sure it is implemented, we are here today with Mr President to submit his expression of interest form, showing that we are united and have reached a consensus in supporting Mr President to continue the good work he is doing,” Uzodimma said, describing the arrangement as a fulfillment of a resolution made at the APC Political Summit last year.

“On behalf of the governors elected on the platform of our Progressive Congress, from the 31 APC‑controlled states out of the 36 states in Nigeria, we believe it is going to be a consensus,” he said, pledging that the governors would “work assiduously to market the policies and successes recorded by this administration” to secure the public mandate for a second term. Only one party chieftain, Stanley Osifo, has so far obtained forms to challenge Tinubu.

Fierce contests in states

At the state level, the picture is more contested.

In Ogun, Senator Gbenga Daniel is poised to battle Governor Dapo Abiodun for the Ogun East senatorial ticket and has vehemently opposed consensus.

Also in Ogun, Gboyega Isiaka is determined to pursue the governorship ticket amid a surge of endorsements for Senator Olamilekan Adeola (Yayi) as the consensus candidate.

In Enugu State, Governor Peter Mbah praised the APC’s screening process as a model for Africa and suggested that consensus remains the natural order in his state. “In Enugu, we have always done things as brothers. We understand the value and significance of unity, and that is what we will continue to uphold,” he said.

Niger State Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago disclosed that farmers across the state had contributed over 150 million naira to fund his nomination form—using 50 million for the purchase—and said his state would first attempt consensus before falling back on direct primaries. “We are trying to build consensus across the state, but where consensus cannot be built, then we’ll go for direct primaries,” he said.

Aspirants push back hard

Across several states, aspirants are refusing the consensus approach, citing the Electoral Act as both a shield and a weapon against elite‑driven arrangements.

Senate Majority Leader Michael Opeyemi Bamidele, who played a central role in drafting the electoral law, clarified the legal position, insisting that no candidate could be imposed under the consensus provision and that a single objection was sufficient to trigger full direct primaries.

“In any case there will always be primaries. Even where you have only one aspirant, there will still be primaries because for someone who has been endorsed by consensus, everybody will still go to the ward, everybody will still participate in the primaries because there will still be the need to do an endorsement – open endorsement at the ward level. So there’s nothing that can be done under the table whether you are doing direct primaries or you are doing consensus,” he said.

Bamidele, who said no challenger had emerged from within his own Ekiti Central district, was careful to acknowledge that his experience was personal and not representative of statewide conditions. “This does not mean that the same thing will happen in all the three districts in Ekiti. But again, in the event that anyone disagrees with a consensus arrangement, the law is