The 2027 election race within the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) gained momentum on Tuesday as President Bola Tinubu and other aspirants obtained their nomination forms.
Among the contenders, Osifo Stanley from Edo State purchased the N100 million presidential nomination form to challenge Tinubu for the party’s ticket at the primaries.
In Lagos, the Deputy Governor, Obafemi Hamzat, secured the backing of the Governance Advisory Council (GAC) as the APC’s consensus candidate for the 2027 governorship election. This endorsement was further reinforced by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, who publicly supported Hamzat as his preferred successor.
Meanwhile, the Founder of the Tinubu Support Groups and lawmaker representing Ikeja Federal Constituency, James Faleke, who collected the President’s expression of interest and nomination forms, dismissed concerns about emerging opposition coalitions. He insisted they pose no threat to the APC’s electoral prospects.
According to the party’s 2027 timetable, the sale of forms—initially scheduled to begin on April 25—commenced three days later but will still close on May 2, 2026, as planned. Party officials assured stakeholders that the delay would not affect submission deadlines or aspirant eligibility.
At the Abuja Continental Hotel, where the forms were distributed, the Ladi Kwali Hall was filled with aspirants. Senate, House of Representatives, and governorship hopefuls were seen collecting their forms at designated desks.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has fixed January 16, 2027, for the Presidential and National Assembly elections, while governorship and State Assembly elections will take place on February 6, 2027. Party primaries and dispute resolutions are scheduled between April 23 and May 30, 2026.
Campaigns for Presidential and National Assembly elections will begin on August 19, 2026, while those for governorship and state assemblies will commence on September 9, 2026.
Across the country, political alignments are already shifting. Senator Solomon Adeola (Yayi) has picked the APC governorship nomination form for Ogun State. Similarly, Senators Shehu Buba of Bauchi State and Isah Jibrin of Nasarawa State have declared their intentions to contest governorship positions in their respective states.
Speaking after collecting Tinubu’s forms, Faleke emphasized that the APC remains “strategically positioned” despite opposition alliances. He highlighted ongoing grassroots mobilisation, voter outreach programmes, and strengthened local party structures as key strategies ahead of the 2027 elections.
He described coalition talks among opposition parties as a normal feature of democracy, maintaining that they would not disrupt the APC’s preparations.
“Political parties can come together as part of democracy. We have our strategy, it will work, and we will win the election,” Faleke said.
The endorsement of Hamzat by the GAC was confirmed by the Senior Special Assistant to the Lagos State Governor on New Media, Jubril Gawat, via a post on X, further solidifying his position as the party’s preferred candidate in Lagos.
