Politics
Failed Consensus In Some States Raises Tension as APC primaries begin
The growing unrest, which has triggered protests, collapsed consensus negotiations, and led to accusations of candidate imposition and reconciliation efforts across multiple states, comes as the APC leadership races to preserve party cohesion before the primaries gather momentum nationwide.
Concerned by the situation, President Tinubu has appealed to members, aspirants and party leaders to conduct themselves as sportsmen and women.
He warned that rancorous behaviour would only serve the opposition, and cautioned winners against gloating, while urging losers to accept defeat with grace.
In a personal statement he released on Thursday, the eve of the commencement of House of Representatives primaries, Tinubu said the exercises were not merely platforms to produce standard bearers but a referendum on the APC’s unity, resilience and strength as a party entering its fourth election cycle.
He said, “In every contest, there will be a winner and a loser. I urge the winners not to gloat in victory and the losers to show sportsmanship by taking things in their stride and preparing for another time.
“The ultimate winners are those who don’t choose to wreck the boat but rather work to prepare for another round. Our opponents are waiting for us to be against each other; we should disappoint them.”
The President made a pointed reference to a mode of political engagement he said the party had left behind, invoking it precisely to warn against its return.
“We should not play the politics of old, the do-or-die politics that we have put behind us. Politics should never be a zero-sum game. Any candidate that wins does so for all of us as a party,” he stated.
The President said wherever consensus had already been reached among aspirants, it should be maximised to reduce friction.
“I am aware that, in line with the provisions of the Electoral Act 2026 and our party’s constitution, leaders at various levels have initiated conversations to produce consensus candidates.
“It is a commendable option that would help in reducing rancour and bad blood among party members,” said Tinubu.
But where consensus fails, he said, members must conduct themselves with discipline.
“I urge us all to go into the primaries as brothers and sisters,” the President appealed.
Tinubu directed party governors and leaders to ensure a level playing field and rise above personal sentiment.
He said, “You must rise above sentiment to offer all aspirants a level playing field that guarantees participation without let or hindrance.
“While only one person will win for every seat contested, we should give eventual losers the satisfaction of a fair contest.”
He also directed that winners and party leaders at all levels reach out to those who did not succeed with olive branches, and urged aspirants who felt aggrieved to approach the party’s redress committees rather than destabilise the process.
The President called for the inclusion of women and youth, saying, “I appeal to voters in the primaries and leaders at all levels to give special consideration to our women and youth in the contest. We cannot afford to relegate the two significant demographics of our population.”
He also issued a firm directive to security agencies deployed for the primaries, urging them to limit their role strictly to maintaining peace.
According to him, “The police and other security agencies must remain professional and avoid acting as interlopers during this exercise. Your duties strictly centre on ensuring peaceful exercise. Nothing more.”
The APC primaries, kicking off with House of Representatives aspirants, are scheduled to run through to the presidential primary on May 25, 2026.
The primaries are taking place under the Electoral Act 2026, which reduced the statutory notice period for elections from 360 to 300 days, a change Speaker Tajudeen Abbas noted could allow Presidential and National Assembly elections to be held in January 2027.
Consensus talks collapse
Investigations revealed that while some APC-controlled states successfully adopted consensus arrangements for the primaries, others descended into intense disputes as aspirants resisted pressure to step down for preferred candidates.
The crisis has become particularly pronounced in states such as Taraba, Kano, Kaduna, Oyo, Yobe and Abia, where disagreements over direct primaries, endorsements and alleged automatic tickets have sharply divided party stakeholders.
In Abia State, the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, moved to calm rising tension by dismissing speculations that certain aspirants had already been handed automatic tickets ahead of the primaries.
Speaking during a pre-primary stakeholders’ meeting of the APC in Umuahia on Thursday, Kalu insisted that the party would not impose candidates on members.
According to him, every aspirant seeking elective office under the APC platform must emerge through a transparent and democratic process.
“We are not going to impose any candidate. We want to ensure that after the primaries, the party is not going to disintegrate. We have worked hard and it is now time to harvest,” Kalu declared.
He added, “There is no automatic ticket and no list by anybody. The party has given us only two democratic options — consensus or direct primaries.”
The deputy speaker stressed that the wishes of party members would ultimately determine who emerges as candidates for the 2027 elections.
Also speaking at the meeting, former Abia State governor and senator representing Abia North, Orji Uzor Kalu, said President Tinubu had specifically mandated party leaders in the state to remain united ahead of the elections.
“The President told me clearly that the only gift Abia APC can give him is to deliver the state,” Orji Kalu said.
He added, “The President also told me not to quarrel with my younger brother. I have no problems with Ben Kalu anymore. The quarrel is gone. Abia APC is now united.”
The APC disclosed during the meeting that three governorship aspirants, nine senatorial aspirants, 24 House of Representatives aspirants and 64 House of Assembly aspirants purchased nomination forms in the state.
According to the state Organising Secretary, Emeka Okoroafor, only one House of Representatives aspirant was disqualified for not being a registered party member.
Meanwhile, consensus negotiations for House of Representatives tickets remained deadlocked in Kano State as party leaders struggled to avert divisive contests across the 24 federal constituencies.
Speaking on Thursday, the Kano APC Publicity Secretary, Auwal Soja, confirmed that consultations were still ongoing late into the evening.
“Consensus among the aspirants of the APC for the 24 federal constituency seats is still ongoing, which will hopefully be concluded by 10 pm today,” he said.
He, however, admitted that direct primaries would hold wherever consensus arrangements fail.
“As you know, the APC Constitution provides only for direct primaries and consensus as legitimate pathways for selecting candidates,” Soja added.
The Electoral Act 2026 permits political parties to adopt either direct primaries, where all registered party members vote, or consensus arrangements backed by written consent from cleared aspirants.
Despite the reconciliation efforts, indications emerged that consensus talks in Kano may face resistance in some constituencies, especially Kumbotso Federal Constituency, where supporters of rival aspirants have openly demanded competitive primaries.
In Taraba State, the party’s consensus initiative suffered a major setback after several aspirants refused to withdraw from contests across strategic constituencies.
The collapse of the arrangement forced the APC to prepare for direct primaries in multiple National Assembly and state assembly constituencies ahead of today’s exercise.
In a statement issued by the APC State Publicity Secretary, Aaron Artimas, the party disclosed that the State Chairman, Alhaji Abubakar Bawa, had reconstituted another committee to continue negotiations with aggrieved aspirants.
According to the statement, “The committees achieved a tremendous amount of success, as many aspirants have already agreed to step down in the interest of party unity.”
The statement added that the fresh committee would continue engaging aspirants “who may still be holding out for one reason or another.”
However, reports submitted by zonal committees showed that consensus collapsed in constituencies such as Takum, Donga, Ussa, Kurmi, Nguroje and Wukari, where aspirants insisted on testing their popularity through direct primaries.
Former lawmaker, Tukur El-Sudi, who chaired one of the reconciliation committees, disclosed that many aspirants rejected appeals to step down for incumbents.
“All aspirants in Nguroje declined to withdraw for the incumbent lawmaker because they insisted the process must remain competitive,” he said.
Similarly, Dr Philip Duwe, who chaired the Southern Zone Consensus Committee, revealed that many aspirants initially feared that the consensus arrangement was merely a strategy to impose candidates.
According to him, “Several aspirants believed the process was designed to favour certain individuals, but the consultations later became useful platforms for dialogue and reconciliation.”
He further disclosed that huge financial investments made by aspirants for mobilisation and consultations also contributed to the breakdown of consensus talks.
The APC state chairman, Bawa, however, defended the process, insisting that disagreements should not be viewed as failure.
“The inability to achieve consensus everywhere is not a failure. It simply reflects internal democracy because aspirants are expressing themselves freely,” he stated.
In Yobe State, the APC is equally preparing for the House of Representatives primaries following the failure of party stakeholders to settle disagreements through consensus.
A senior party source disclosed that Governor Mai Mala Buni had returned to the state to personally supervise reconciliation meetings aimed at salvaging consensus talks before the primaries.
“The governor has arrived in the state and is expected to meet with party stakeholders to decide whether consensus can still be achieved or whether the primaries will proceed,” the source said.
PUNCH
By Okey Maduforo, Awka
Ahead of the 2027 National Assembly elections, a mass protest voting movement may be building up in Anambra South Senatorial District, following reported moves by members of major political parties to support the candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Chief Ebuka Onunkwo.
The development is said to be linked to grievances among some members of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), All Progressives Congress (APC), African Democratic Congress (ADC) and remnants of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) over the treatment allegedly meted out to Onunkwo during previous political contests.
Onunkwo, who had previously contested the Anambra South senatorial seat under APGA, later emerged as the NDC candidate for the 2027 election.
Although the ADC is currently embroiled in legal disputes over the authentic candidates and the conduct of its primary elections, some members of the APC and APGA are also reportedly dissatisfied with developments within their respective parties.
It was gathered that a section of APGA members, in particular, are backing Onunkwo as a form of protest over the conduct of the party’s senatorial primary, while some members of other parties are also believed to be considering voting for him irrespective of their party affiliations.
Confirming the growing support for Onunkwo, the Chief Executive Officer of NOWAS Oil and Gas Limited and a major stakeholder in Anambra South politics, Chief Ignesus Ikechukwudere Nnubia, said the NDC candidate currently enjoys widespread acceptability across party lines.
Nnubia said the growing support for Onunkwo had made his party affiliation less significant, arguing that voters would ultimately vote according to their conscience and assessment of the candidates.
He said, “At the moment, the number of APGA members with him and supporting him makes one wonder what is left of that party. Even the remnants of the PDP have pitched their tents with him, while members of the ruling APC at the national level are also behind him.
“So, the party that he belongs to is not a factor at all. You know that it is a game of numbers, and people are going to vote according to their conscience and not necessarily because of the political party they belong to.
“People are not bound to vote for their party, and some of them are ready and willing to vote for him.
“We are not talking about the party because he will surely get votes from the NDC, APGA, APC and even other political parties that are already closing ranks to support him as their candidate.”
Nnubia further described Onunkwo as the candidate currently standing tall among the contenders for the Anambra South senatorial seat, expressing confidence that his emergence would usher in what he described as a “new dawn” for the district.
He said political parties should not be the major consideration for voters, stressing that what matters most is the ability of elected representatives to improve the lives of their constituents.
According to him, political parties exist because of the people, and therefore the influence of party structures and incumbency has its limits during elections.
Nnubia said those factors would ultimately be tested by the electorate in the 2027 election, which he described as a contest in which voters’ choices would determine the outcome.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate for the 2027 Ebonyi State election, Chief Ifeanyi Chukwuma Odii, has pledged to attract more than ₦2 trillion in private-sector investment to the state within six months of assuming office if elected.
Odii made the pledge while addressing supporters in Lagos ahead of the formal commencement of his campaign.
He said his investment strategy would cover key sectors of the Ebonyi economy, including mining, hospitality, real estate and manufacturing.
According to the PDP candidate, he has identified more than 2,000 prospective investors, each capable of investing about ₦1 billion in the state.
“I have over 2,000 people who can invest ₦1 billion each. When you multiply it, you will get over ₦2 trillion. This has been structured in such a way that all aspects of the economy will be involved,” Odii said.
He said the proposed investment drive was designed not only to inject capital into the state but also to create jobs, expand the productive base of the economy and provide opportunities for young people and entrepreneurs.
Odii said Ebonyi’s natural resources and strategic location placed it in a strong position to attract large-scale investments if its economic potential was properly harnessed.
He promised that his administration would prioritise private-sector participation, industrialisation and job creation while creating an enabling environment for both local and foreign investors.
The candidate also said existing businesses in the state would be supported to expand, while new investors would be encouraged to establish operations across various sectors.
His pledge comes amid growing political activities ahead of the 2027 governorship election, with economic development, employment generation and wealth creation featuring prominently in his campaign message.
The proposed ₦2 trillion investment target within six months, if achieved, would represent a significant boost to Ebonyi’s economy and rank among the most ambitious private-sector investment mobilisation plans proposed in the state.
By Okey Maduforo, Awka
The planned visit of the First Lady of Nigeria, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, to Anambra State has sparked controversy following a protest by the state Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Emma Anosike, that the party was not informed about the visit.
Anosike said the APC in Anambra was never consulted or briefed about the proposed visit, adding that the party was taken aback by reports that the wife of the party’s national leader and presidential candidate, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, would be visiting the state without recourse to the state chapter.
He said, “It is indeed strange that the First Lady of our presidential candidate is visiting Anambra State without recourse to the party in the state.
“The party wishes to state categorically that we are not part of the arrangements for the reception of our First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, because the party was never put in the picture.”
Anosike also dismissed the mantra that “The Progressives Are Working Together”, being canvassed by the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), describing it as a smokescreen by the ruling party in Anambra to hijack President Tinubu’s re-election from the APC.
He said, “For instance, the APGA-led government in Anambra State did not interface with us on the organisation of the visit, and the party wonders if the progressives are indeed working together.”
The APC chairman, however, said the development would not compromise the First Lady’s visit, urging all APC members and supporters in the state to turn out and give Senator Oluremi Tinubu a warm welcome.
He stressed that despite the party’s reservations over the arrangements, APC members remained committed to welcoming the First Lady to Anambra State.
Former Deputy Governor of Bauchi State, Sagir Saleh, has resigned his membership of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Saleh, who served as deputy governor under former Governor Isa Yuguda, announced his resignation in a letter submitted to the party leadership in Katagum Local Government Area.
He cited personal reasons for his decision but did not provide further details.
His exit comes amid growing disagreements within the Bauchi APC following the party’s 2027 governorship primary. Other prominent members, including former governorship aspirant Bala Jibrin and Sunusi Kunde, an associate of Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Ali Pate, have also reportedly left the party.
Jibrin, a former National Auditor of the defunct Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), resigned on August 31, 2026, following his opposition to the emergence of former Bauchi Governor Muhammad Abubakar as the APC’s 2027 governorship candidate.
He had criticised the primary process and questioned how the candidate emerged.
Kunde also resigned from the APC in August, submitting his resignation to the party chairman of Beti Ward in Misau Local Government Area.
The latest departures are coming as efforts continue to resolve internal disputes and disagreements among APC members in the state.
The Leader of INRI Evangelical Spiritual Church, Primate Elijah Ayodele, has raised the alarm over an alleged plot to assassinate former Anambra State Governor, Peter Obi, and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar ahead of the 2027 general election.
Ayodele issued the warning in a video shared on his verified X account on Sunday, urging both opposition figures to strengthen their security and remain vigilant.
The cleric did not identify those allegedly behind the purported plot but claimed that attempts were being made to eliminate Obi and Atiku.
According to him, divine intervention would prevent the alleged plan from succeeding.
“Obi and Atiku, be very conscious of your security. They are looking for any means to eliminate Obi and Atiku.
“But God will never allow it to happen. Watch out and be cautious about your security,” he said.
Ayodele also urged President Bola Tinubu to reconsider travelling to the United States, alleging that there were forces in America working against his political fortunes.
The claims come as political activities and realignments intensify ahead of Nigeria’s 2027 general elections.
-
News21 hours agoSept. 26 Polls: ‘ENSIEC is over 90% ready’ – Chairman
-
Politics1 day ago2027: Odii: I’ll Attract ₦2tn Investment to Ebonyi in Six Months
-
News4 days agoFCC Urges Enugu Youths to Prepare for Federal Job Opportunities
-
Crime1 day agoGunmen Attack Commercial Bus, Kill Nine Passengers
-
Crime2 days agoEnugu Police Probe Alleged Disruption of Political Gatherings, Warn Against Violence
-
News20 hours agoCommissioner Dies Suddenly at Abuja Hospital
-
News2 days agoHotel Building Collapses in Enugu Kills One, Traps Workers
-
News1 day agoWhy Nigerian Leaders Should Spend Vacations at Home – Ebonyi Reps Candidate