APC Officially Uploads 27 Governorship Candidates for 2027 Elections
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has settled disputes from controversial governorship primaries in some states and uploaded the details of its candidates in 27 of the 28 states where governorship elections will hold in 2027.
The Nation reports that the party had also submitted the names of the running mates of the 27 candidates to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The only remaining state is in the North-East, where party stakeholders are expected to meet in Abuja on Monday to resolve the choice of a deputy governorship candidate.
The delay, party sources said, was due to the need to replace the serving deputy governor who has already served two terms in office.
Among the governorship candidates whose details have been uploaded are those of Kwara, Oyo, Adamawa and Bauchi states where the APC primaries had generated protests and internal disagreements.
In Kwara, Speaker of state House of Assembly, Yakubu Danladi Salihu, emerged as the governorship candidate.
Senator Sharafadeen Alli was uploaded as the party’s candidate for Oyo State with Adesoji Adedeji as his running mate.
Ahmed Tijani Galadima, former Executive Secretary of the Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF) is the APC governorship candidate in Adamawa while former governor Mohammed Abubakar is flying the party’s flag in Bauchi.
Kwara Aspirants Protest Selection of Danladi
Support for Danladi by Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq had led to opposition from some aspirants and party leaders to the Kwara governorship primary.
The leading aspirants seeking the ticket were Senator Salihu Mustapha representing Kwara Central; Senator Oyelola Ashiru of Kwara South; and Senator Umar Sadiq Suleiman of Kwara North.
Danladi’s appearance, it was said, infuriated some aspirants and powerful members of the party in the three senatorial districts.
However, the APC leadership is said to have settled the differences and gone ahead with the submission of Danladi’s details to INEC.
Bauchi crisis comes after Abubakar’s victory
The governorship primary in Bauchi State also exposed deep divisions within the APC when former governor Mohammed Abubakar emerged as the party’s candidate.
Former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar, Bala Wunti, Nura Manu Soro and Senator Shehu Umar Buba were among several prominent politicians that contested.
Abubakar’s victory announcement sparked disagreements, as some aspirants and their supporters rejected the outcome.
Buba later left the APC and became the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party.
Also, APC Deputy Chairman in Bauchi, Ibrahim Misau, defected with some local government and ward officials in Misau Local Government Area and declared his support for Buba.
Despite the defections, Abubakar’s name has been uploaded as the APC governorship candidate.
Adamawa Stakeholders Unite
In Adamawa, it seems party members who had been divided over the emergence of Galadima have reconciled.
Sources said Galadima was not the preferred choice of Governor Ahmadu Fintiri, but had the backing of the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu.
Fintiri, who joined the APC months before the primary, was believed to have preferred another candidate but later accepted the result.
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Since then the governor has been seen with Galadima at political functions, indicating a reduction of tension within the state chapter.
Oyo reaches settlement on primary dispute
The APC governorship primary in Oyo State also came with controversy as former Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, challenged the emergence of Senator Alli.
Adelabu had maintained that the primary was not properly conducted and promised his supporters he would challenge the result through the party’s internal appeal process.
Even after Alli got his certificate of return and presented Adedeji as his running mate, Adelabu and some other aspirants continued to contest the outcome.
Sources within the party who spoke to The Nation, however, said those disagreements have been settled, paving the way for the submission of Alli and Adedeji’s details to INEC.
One State Excellent.
An anonymous member of the APC vetting committee said the party had made substantial progress in completing the nomination process.
“We have made giant strides in our efforts to upload details of all our governorship candidates and their deputies.
“But for one state, we would have completed and closed the process of governorship candidates,” the source said.
The sticking point, the official said, was a running mate from a North-East state.
“The delay was caused by the deputy governorship candidate.
“The matter will be resolved at a critical stakeholders’ meeting scheduled for Monday (today) here in Abuja,” the official added.
APC Presents 60% Assembly Candidates
The party has also uploaded around 60 per cent of its candidates for the state Houses of Assembly elections.
“During the 2027 general elections, there will be House of Assembly elections in all the 36 states.
Political parties have till August 8 to submit their governorship and state assembly candidates to INEC.
As at today, the APC has processed 12 politicians who are vying for the governorship position for the first time.
They are: Obafemi Hamzat (Lagos), Solomon Adeola (Ogun), Kingsley Chinda (Rivers), Eric Opah (Abia), Mohammed Abubakar (Bauchi), Mustapha Gubio (Borno) and Jamilu Gwamna (Gombe).
Others are Aliyu Wadada, Nasarawa and Baba Malam Wali, Yobe.
The downloaded names of candidates are:
Obafemi Hamzat — Lagos.
Solomon Adeola – Ogun State
Kingsley Chinda – Rivers State
Eric Opah – Abia
= Mohammed Abubakar — Bauchi
Mustapha Gubio – Borno
JAMILU GWAMNA – GOMBE
Aliyu Wadada – Nasarawa
Baba Malam Wali – Yobe
Hyacinth Alia—Benue State
Bassey Otu — Cross River State
Sheriff Oborevwori Delta State
Francis Nwifuru – Ebonyi
Peter Mbah – Enugu
Umar Namadi, Jigawa
Abba Yusuf of Kano
Dikko Radda – Katsina
Niger – Umar Bago
Kebbi — Nasir Idris
Caleb Mutfwang – Plateau
Umo Eno – Akwa Ibom
Dauda Lawal — Zamfara State
Ahmed Aliyu – Sokoto
