Many aspirants across Nigeria’s 36 states are refusing to buy All Progressives Congress (APC) nomination forms amid claims that governors have hijacked the process and pre-selected preferred candidates ahead of primaries.
The development has led to low uptake of forms, forcing the APC National Working Committee (NWC) to extend its 2 May deadline for sale and submission.
According to Daily Sun, the extension was due to "embarrassingly poor uptake" in several states.
Tension first surfaced publicly on Monday, 25 April, when no forms or payment accounts were made available at the APC national secretariat in Abuja on the official start date for sales.
It was gathered that nomination forms were to be sent directly to state governors, who would then release them to preferred candidates under a consensus arrangement.
"The Presidency is fully in charge here, and there is nothing we can do," a party official said.
APC presidential aspirant Osifo Stanley said in Abuja he had been unable to obtain a form after repeated attempts.
"I made several calls, but the account details required for payment were not made available to me," he said.
READ ALSO: Kwankwaso Denies 2027 Presidential Bid, Says No Decision on Running Mate
Party sources said other governorship, National Assembly and State Assembly aspirants reported similar obstacles.
In Ebonyi State, APC chairman Chief Stanley Okoro Emegha advised members seeking elective positions to obtain the governor’s permission before buying forms.
"Any money you pay to the party is non-refundable. Don’t buy any form without the governor’s directive," he said.
The governors’ role follows a closed-door meeting at the Presidential Villa.
It emerged that President Bola Tinubu had empowered APC governors to decide the fate of aspirants in their states to preserve party unity ahead of the 2027 polls.
Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, told journalists after the meeting that talks focused on forging a stronger party.
"We have discussed the process moving forward so that there will be free and fair elections without rancour," he said.
National Assembly members had met the president to request automatic tickets for colleagues.
Tinubu, however, insisted governors would have ultimate influence over aspirants.
READ ALSO: Desmond Elliot Declares Re-Election Bid for Lagos Assembly
The position has created unease among federal lawmakers not aligned with state executives.
Some lawmakers have privately said they would not have defected to the APC had they known automatic tickets would not be guaranteed.
A National Assembly source said: "The governors have taken charge of the structures in their states, leaving many senators stranded."
In Adamawa, elders of the Gongola Peoples warned at a press conference in Abuja that any attempt to impose a governorship candidate would be resisted.
"We will not accept, tolerate, or allow any form of imposition on our people. Imposition only breeds resentment, weakens the party, and ultimately guarantees defeat at the general elections," they said.
In Niger State, stakeholders in Agwara/Borgu Federal Constituency rejected Governor Umar Bago’s directive on zoning and consensus.
They passed a communiqué resolving that all elective offices remain open to qualified aspirants.
In Ogun State, APC members in Ijebu East Local Government Area protested at the governor’s office in Abeokuta against what they called an attempt to impose House of Representatives and State Assembly candidates.
In Lagos, governorship aspirant Dr Samuel Ajose criticised the endorsement of Deputy Governor Obafemi Hamzat, saying the process was "being enforced on the party rather than emerging organically from the membership."
Another governorship aspirant, Maurice Vunobolki, has withdrawn from the race, citing plans to impose a candidate.
Party insiders said that mass defections of PDP governors to the APC in 2024 and 2025 have fuelled the crisis.
Defecting governors were reportedly assured of automatic second-term tickets as part of their move.
The assurance has created tension with long-standing APC members who say they are being sidelined.
It was gathered that defecting governors also secured approval to control party structures in their states.
APC National Chairman Nentawe Yilwatda has publicly rejected demands for automatic tickets, stating "there is no automatic ticket in the party’s constitution."
Senior party figures are warning that candidate imposition could cost the APC in 2027.
0 Comments