The APC screening exercise ahead of the 2027 general elections recorded the absence of Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, even as the party assessed 14 governors seeking re-election and other elective positions.

Also, President Bola Tinubu’s sole challenger, Stanley Osifo, was screened.

APC began the sale of its expression of interest and nomination forms on April 28, with the exercise closing at midnight on May 6.

The screening of serving governors began on May 8 and is expected to conclude on May 10 (today), while the party adopted both consensus and direct primaries in accordance with the Electoral Act 2025.

The party’s primaries are scheduled to hold in phases, beginning with the House of Representatives on May 15, followed by the Senate on May 18, State Houses of Assembly on May 20, governorship on May 21, and the presidential primary on May 23.

Appeal committees are expected to convene after each exercise to address disputes arising from the primaries.

The Independent National Electoral Commission has fixed the presidential and National Assembly elections for January 16, 2027, while governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections are slated for February 6, 2027.

INEC also announced that political parties will conduct their primaries and resolve related disputes between April 23 and May 30, 2026.

According to the commission, campaigns for presidential and National Assembly elections will commence on August 19, 2026, while campaigns for governorship and State Assembly elections are scheduled to begin on September 9, 2026.

The APC screening committee for sitting governors is chaired by the APC National Chairman, Nentawe Yilwatda, while the party’s National Secretary, Surajudeen Basiru, serves as secretary.

Among the governors screened were Abba Yusuf of Kano State, Inuwa Yahaya of Gombe State, Nasir Idris of Kebbi State, Caleb Muftwang of Plateau State, and Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia of Benue State.

Others included Ebonyi State Governor, Francis Nwifuru, and Delta State Governor, Sheriff Oborevwori.

The committee also screened Niger State Governor, Umar Bago; Zamfara State Governor, Dauda Lawal; Cross River State Governor, Bassey Otu; and Sokoto State Governor, Ahmed Aliyu, as part of the ongoing exercise.

“So far, we have screened over 14 governors and the exercise is still ongoing,” a principal official of the APC, who spoke with Sunday PUNCH on condition of anonymity, said.

Speaking shortly after the exercise, the Akwa Ibom State Governor, Eno, described the process as smooth and satisfactory.

He said, “Perfect, and I think it’s a normal procedure. I am satisfied. Again, I thank the National Working Committee, the chairman, and all members of the National Working Committee. It brings synergy between the sitting governors and the National Working Committee, and it shows growth. There’s no sitting governor who is not in sync with the National Working Committee.

“This exercise consolidates that. It makes you meet all of them, and it shows that there is a flow between us as progressives. So I’m satisfied.

“In my state or in the nation? In the nation, you’ve seen the work that the President is doing, and we are all part of it. We’re working from our various states. Of course, it builds up from the sub-national to the national.”

Eno added, “And so there is no progressive governor today whose work you cannot verify on the ground. And then at the national level, the President has given us, as governors, lots of support. Things are difficult, we must admit, but we also must admit that things are improving from where this President took over. And there is a pathway. You can see the stabilisation of the dollar.

“You can see that, apart from the Iran-American war, which is also now affecting some of the achievements, and this is not only in Nigeria anyway, you can truly say that there is progress. There is light at the end of the tunnel. I feel that Nigerians know that this President needs to come back to consolidate the work that he has started.”

The governor pledged that if re-elected, he would build on his administration’s achievements.

A former Minister of Foreign Affairs and Bauchi State governorship aspirant, Yusuf Tuggar, said consensus was unlikely in the APC governorship race, citing the increasing number of aspirants contesting the ticket.

The Bauchi governorship aspirant, while speaking with journalists shortly after the screening, urged the party leadership to identify genuinely committed aspirants and guard against fraudulent practices during the primary process.

He said, “Well, to be honest, it is unlikely that there is going to be a consensus in Bauchi State. I don’t think there will be agreement among the aspirants. Initially, there were five aspirants, and then all of a sudden, yesterday (Friday), we saw a flurry of activities and a deluge of forms being procured. So, this happened a day before the screening, and it makes you wonder why or how. But people are free to exercise their freedom to contest, so they have contested.”

“However, it is important for the APC to be mindful of this and to sift through those who are seriously committed and dedicated to the party and are sincere in their intention to contest, and those who perhaps may just join the race so that they can later withdraw for one preferred candidate, thereby creating a semblance of consensus. It is also important that any fraudulent or untoward practice is not entertained by the APC.

“This time will be different if my party fields me as its candidate, because in 2011, when I ran under the CPC, I contested against an incumbent governor seeking a second term. This time around, it is an incumbent who is at the end of his tenure and is looking to field a replacement.

“Back then, there were also many anomalies. We didn’t even have electronic card readers in 2011. Then in 2015, that was still the formative stage of the APC, and we had people coming in at the last minute after contesting under the PDP to contest under the APC. Now, the Electoral Act does not allow for such switches and last-minute changes.”

He said the political landscape had changed and urged the party to focus on grassroots politicians and mobilisers capable of delivering victories for the APC at all levels.

The Kwara State governorship aspirant, Abdul Fatai Yahya, also said he was ready for any mode of primary approved by the party leadership.

Similarly, the presidential aspirant, Stanley, described the party’s screening exercise as rigorous but fair, saying he fully participated and answered all questions.

He expressed confidence that the party’s relevant organs would handle the outcome appropriately, with results expected soon.

The aspirant confirmed he was asked why he was contesting against the incumbent president, noting that he responded to all questions during the process.

Stanley also said he remained committed to the race despite the party leadership’s endorsement of the president, adding that decisions on the primary method rested with the party and that he had not discussed stepping down.

Other governors screened for senatorial elections include Yobe State Governor, Mai Mala Buni, Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodinma, among others, who had also undergone screening.

However, the governor of Rivers State was notably absent from the screening exercise.

Fubara, who has been involved in a long-standing political conflict with his predecessor and Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, reportedly obtained the APC expression of interest and nomination forms through a proxy, against Wike’s alleged opposition.

By the conclusion of the screening exercise on Friday and Saturday, Fubara had not appeared for the process.

Responding to questions about his absence from the screening, the Chairman of the Committee, who also serves as the APC Chairman, Yilwatda, said state governors with official engagements were excused.

He said, “Three governors have not come, so that is the issue. I said you should not single one person out when three governors have not appeared. All of them have their reasons for not appearing, and we know they are chief executives of their states with state responsibilities.

“So, any governor who has state issues to attend to, whether the governor of Kwara State, Ebonyi State, Rivers State, we excuse them. They are chief executives and field commanders. Anytime they are free, within the stipulated time, the screening committee will be available and we will provide a slot for them.”

Fubara’s fate uncertain

It was gathered that some prominent Rivers indigenes, led by a member of the House of Representatives, Awaj-Inombek Abiante, and a former Commissioner for Education, Dr Tamunosisi Gogo-Jaja, purchased the expression of interest and nomination forms for Fubara.

However, no one could tell if the forms were presented to him.

But a former Rivers State Commissioner for Works, Das George-Kelly, and the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, Kingsley Chinda, were reported to have purchased nomination forms to contest the governorship election in the state.

Gogo-Jaja, while speaking to a popular radio station in Port Harcourt, Beat FM 99.9, claimed that Chinda, a member of the Peoples Democratic Party, bought a governorship form on the platform of the APC.

He said, “Those who are disrespecting Mr President, are they not those who were asked to resign if they have political ambition and they did not resign?

“As we speak, O.K. Chinda is the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, yet he bought a governorship nomination form in the APC, in our party.

“Maybe if you have been hearing it as a rumour, quote me. I saw his name among those who bought the governorship form.

“I have access to the file because I was among those who went to submit it.” (Sunday PUNCH)

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