Despite serious efforts to achieve consensus candidacy in the governorship race across the states by the All Progressives Congress (APC), adamant aspirants have broken ranks by collecting nomination forms.

Unless more efforts are made to get some aspirants to step down, the case for governorship tickets will go down to a direct primary in most of the states.

The party will be faced with the huge task of organising direct primaries.

Direct primary is a process in which all registered party members are eligible to participate by voting at their various wards.

In Lagos, Ogun, Nasarawa, Yobe, Bauchi, Oyo, among others, there are multiple bids.

Jide Adediran (Jandor) and Samuel Ajose have collected forms to challenge the favoured aspirant, Deputy Governor Babafemi Hamzat.

Both have vowed not to step down from the race despite all layers of leadership in the state, including President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, First Lady Oluremi, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, and the influential Governance Advisory Council (GAC), endorsing Hamzat.

In Ogun, all former governors, led by Chief Olusegun Osoba, leaders and Governor Dapo Abiodun, publicly endorsed Senator Solomon Adeola (Yayi) and declared him a consensus candidate.

But Abayomi Hunye picked up the form and declared his readiness to challenge him for the ticket.

He hails from the Ogun West Senatorial District, where Yayi comes from.

In Oyo State, the push for Senator Sharafdeen Ali as the consensus governorship candidate has been punctured by Chief Adebayo Adelabu, the immediate-past minister of power. Both of them have picked the forms.

It was learnt that former APC candidate in 2023, Senator Teslim Folarin, will also throw his hat into the ring.

In Nasarawa State, it will be a battle royale. Senator Aliyu Wadada, backed by Governor Abdullahi Sule; ex-Inspector-General of Police Suleiman Adamu, backed by Tanko Almakura and a former Executive Vice Chairman of the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI), Prof. Mohammad Sani Haruna, will slug it out.

In Borno, while Governor Babagana Zulum has declared his former Works and Housing Commission Mustapha Gubio as his preferred candidate, Senator Kaka Lawan has picked up the nomination form to challenge him.

In Yobe, former Senate President Ahmad Lawan has picked up the governorship nomination form.

But he is believed not to be the preferred candidate of the leadership of the party in the state.

In Bauchi, Senator Shehu Buba and former Foreign Affairs Minister Yusuf Maitama Tuggar have both obtained the nomination forms to set up a straight battle for the ticket.

In Kwara, an engineer, Femi Sani has picked the governorship nomination form.

Also Senator Salihu Mustapha picked the form to contest for the Kwara ticket

In Kaduna State, it is a different scenario. An aspirant is challenging the incumbent governor.

Alhaji Yerima Shettima has obtained the form to slug it out with Governor Uba Sani.

According to the APC guidelines, the collection of forms will close on Saturday, while submission will close on Monday.

Governorship primaries are scheduled for May 21.

GAC takes Hamzat to Tinubu

The preferred candidate of Lagos APC Dr. Hamzat, was yesterday taken by the GAC to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at Aso Villa.

In the delegation was Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and Chairman, House of Representatives committee on Finance, James Abiodun Faleke, who was named the newest member of GAC during the meeting.

The First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, who is also a GAC member, hailed the endorsement of Hamzat and the unity of the Lagos APC, saying that the chapter had come of age.

Hamzat gets presidential endorsement

The deputy governor, who spoke with reporters after the meeting, said the delegation had come to present him to the President, who subsequently gave his blessing.

He said: “These are fathers. They are leaders. They have seen a lot of Christmases. They’ve seen a lot of Eid al-Kabir. So, they have experience, and therefore, I’m really, really excited that they brought me here to meet Mr President, and Mr President has blessed us and blessed the decision of GAC.”

The deputy governor, who acknowledged the enormity of the task, expressed confidence in his experience.

He said: “Nobody is ready because the assignment is audacious. But what you have is experience. Having served as deputy governor of Lagos under Governor Sanwo-Olu, I have learned a lot. I know the room. I know where the kitchen is.

“You know, if you want to cook for people and you don’t know the kitchen, it doesn’t matter how good a chef you are; you must know the kitchen. So, with God’s blessings and the support of all my fathers here, I really don’t have any fear.

The 35-member GAC, which had unanimously endorsed Hamzat as the consensus candidate on Tuesday after a special meeting at Lagos House, Marina, resolved to purchase his N50 million governorship nomination form as a demonstration of full backing.

First Lady: Lagos politics has come of age

The First Lady commended the peaceful process, saying that Lagos politics has come of age.

Senator Tinubu likened the GAC to an electoral college, commending the party elders for the thoughtful and peaceful selection process.

“Politically, Lagos State has always been at the forefront, showcasing leadership to the rest of Nigeria.

“You have added a first, and it is so peaceful, and I think we are all getting matured politically and have come of age,” she said in a statement by her Senior Special Assistant on Media, Busola Kukoyi.

The First Lady also alluded to the role of divine providence in leadership, noting that “all power belongs to God and He gives it to whoever He pleases.”

Senator Tinubu commended Sanwo-Olu for his stewardship, offering prayers for him as he prepares to transition from office.

She said: “You have done your best, and I pray that as you begin to transition, God will keep you and be with you.”

‘Hamzat good for the job’

Sanwo-Olu reaffirmed his position that Hamzat is the best for the job at this time.

He spoke during the visit of the GAC to the First Lady.

The governor said: “Yesterday (Tuesday), 25 GAC members were present at the meeting, and they unanimously agreed and confirmed our willingness to support Kadri Obafemi Hamzat. We have also presented him to Mr President, and he has accepted him.”

Sanwo-Olu said the visit to the First Lady was in recognition of her position in the political family, adding that the elders also sought her guidance ahead of the electoral process.

GAC leader Chief Oluyole Olusi emphasised the cultural significance of the visit, noting that in Yoruba tradition, women play institutional roles in governance and leadership validation.

Echoing him, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Sustainable Development Goals, Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire, praised the First Lady’s contributions to national development and her support for the administration.

She said: “You are indeed a strong woman, and we are really proud of you. We pray that what our leader and mentor, Mr President, is doing for this nation will be sustained.”

‘Why I preferred Gubio as successor’

Zulum explained his decision to back Gubio as successor, saying that he has experience and competence.

The governor presented the expression of interest and nomination forms to the former commissioner in Abuja.

Zulum said in a statement by his media aide, Dauda Iliya, that the choice was driven by the need to sustain the developmental strides recorded under his administration.

He said: “I know how I came in as Commissioner for Reconstruction, Rehabilitation and Resettlement, and how that office shaped a governance standard that transformed the lives of our people.”

He described Gubio as a disciplined, courageous, and highly committed public servant whose contributions have been instrumental to Borno’s ongoing development.

He said Gubio demonstrated exceptional leadership in overseeing critical infrastructure projects, particularly housing developments across urban and rural communities, thereby improving the living conditions of residents.

Zulum also highlighted Gubio’s role in post-insurgency recovery efforts during his tenure as Commissioner for Reconstruction, Rehabilitation and Resettlement.

He credited him with leading reconstruction projects in communities devastated by insurgency, including Bama, Konduga, Damasak and Mafa, where schools, healthcare facilities, and other public infrastructure were restored.

The governor said Gubio’s track record aligned with his administration’s vision of recovery, stability, and sustainable development.

Zulum added: “His dedication to rebuilding lives and communities, coupled with his proven administrative competence, underscores the confidence reposed in him to consolidate the gains already achieved and advance Borno’s development agenda.”

The governor maintained that his endorsement was a strategic decision rooted in continuity, experience, and a determination to keep Borno on the path of peace, resilience, and transformational governance. (The Nation)

Update news