President Bola Tinubu has turned down lobbying efforts by Senate leaders seeking automatic return tickets for sitting legislators of the All Progressives Congress (APC) ahead of the 2027 general elections. Instead, he reaffirmed the authority of state governors to oversee candidate selection in their respective states, according to The PUNCH.
The decision was made during a closed-door meeting with Senate leadership at the Presidential Villa on Wednesday, April 22, 2026. Tinubu emphasized that governors remain the leaders of the party in their states and must have a say in who gets the ticket.
Anxiety Among Lawmakers
This stance has heightened concerns among federal lawmakers, particularly senators whose relationships with their governors are strained. A senior National Assembly source revealed: "The meeting was to plead for automatic tickets for senators but President Tinubu insisted that the governor of each state has the influence over candidates."
Governors Empowered to Drive Primaries
Less than 24 hours after meeting Senate leaders, Tinubu convened APC governors at the Presidential Villa. During the session, he formally empowered them to drive the primaries process in line with the Electoral Act. Niger State Governor, Mohammed Bago, confirmed: "He gave us a matching order on what to do for him, he has given and ceded his executive power to the governors to go ahead and conduct primaries based on the Electoral Act, either a consensus or direct primaries." Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq added that the timetable for primaries has been released, stressing the need for free and fair elections.
APC's Revised 2027 Timetable
The APC National Working Committee has announced a revised timetable for the 2027 primaries:
- House of Representatives primaries: May 15, 2026
- Senate primaries: May 18, 2026
- Presidential primary: May 23, 2026
- Screening of aspirants: May 6–9, 2026
Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Duro Meseko, confirmed that sales of forms will run from April 25 to May 2, 2026, with submissions closing on May 4, 2026.
Party Constitution and Electoral Act
APC National Chairman, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, had earlier clarified that automatic tickets are not part of the party's constitution. He stated on April 17, 2026: "There is no automatic ticket in our constitution. The party cannot promise an automatic ticket." He stressed that performance, not incumbency, will determine re-election chances.
Rising Tensions Within APC
The fallout between Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, and Benue State Governor Hyacinth Alia has already split the state's APC structure, with 10 of 11 federal lawmakers siding with Akume. Meanwhile, senators in Nasarawa and Oyo have secured consensus endorsements for governorship bids, signaling a likely high turnover in the Senate. A North-East senator warned: "There is no provision for an automatic ticket in the APC Constitution. The Electoral Act recognizes the consensus and direct primaries option."
President Tinubu's rejection of automatic tickets shows his commitment to party rules and the authority of governors. With the revised timetable now in place, the APC faces a tense build-up to the 2027 elections, where performance and consensus will shape the future of its candidates.
