It’s a showdown in 28 states as attention shifts to the battle for the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) governorship tickets tomorrow.

Ahead of the APC governorship primary on Thursday, the battle for the 2027 governorship ticket has thrown Kwara State into the national spotlight after the state emerged with the highest number of governorship aspirants, a development political observers say reflects shifting power calculations, regional anxieties and widening discontent within the state’s political structure.

From the document obtained from the ruling party yesterday on the list of aspirants who purchased expression of interest and nomination forms, Kwara recorded 16 governorship contenders — the highest figure among 28 states listed by the APC.

According to the document, a total of 101 governorship aspirants from 28 states purchased the nomination forms under the APC platform. The unusually large number of aspirants has already triggered intense political debates across the state, especially over which senatorial district should produce the next governor after the tenure of Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq.

Many political stakeholders are now insisting that the APC may be taking a dangerous electoral risk if it ignores the Kwara Central Senatorial District in its succession arrangement ahead of 2027. The argument, according to insiders within the ruling party, is anchored not only on electoral arithmetic but also on the worsening insecurity confronting parts of Kwara North and Kwara South in recent years.

Political analysts argue that the security challenges affecting several communities in the northern axis bordering Niger and Kogi States, as well as pockets of instability in parts of the southern flank, have increased pressure on the party to look inward towards the central district, which is widely regarded as the state’s most politically stable and electorally dominant bloc.

Kwara Central, which comprises major urban voting centres including Ilorin West, Ilorin East, Ilorin South and Asa, is believed to account for nearly 50 per cent of the state’s voting strength, making it the decisive battleground in any governorship election. Observers say the district’s numerical advantage and strategic political influence may ultimately shape the APC’s final decision despite the growing ambitions from other zones.

Behind Kwara on the national chart is Oyo State with 11 governorship aspirants under the APC platform. Political analysts say the high number in Oyo may not be unconnected with the determination of the APC to reclaim the state from the opposition amid expectations that the contest will be fiercely competitive.

Adamawa State came third with 10 governorship aspirants. The development reflects the intense political interest in the North-East state ahead of the next electoral cycle, with several established politicians already jostling for influence within the ruling party. Bauchi State followed with eight aspirants, while Nasarawa State and Yobe State recorded seven aspirants each.

The document further showed that several states, including Akwa Ibom State, Borno State, Cross River State, Delta State, Ebonyi State, Enugu State, Jigawa State, Kaduna State, Kano State, Katsina State, Kebbi State, Niger State, Sokoto State and Zamfara State recorded only one aspirant each, suggesting either stronger internal consensus or tighter political control within those state chapters of the APC.

But despite the national spread, political attention appears firmly fixed on Kwara, where the combination of insecurity concerns, zoning calculations, electoral strength and internal dissatisfaction has transformed the APC succession race into one of the most closely watched political contests ahead of 2027.

AbdulRazaq endorses governorship aspirant amid tensions

Amid the heightened tension and political calculations, Kwara State Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, has endorsed a businessman, Abdulfatai Seriki, as his preferred successor ahead of tomorrow’s primary. The endorsement comes amid growing internal disagreements within the Kwara APC over succession plans and efforts to produce a consensus candidate for the 2027 governorship election.

In a statement he personally signed yesterday, AbdulRazaq said the endorsement followed consultations with party leaders and stakeholders across the state. He described Seriki as “young, pro-people, astute, and broad-minded,” adding that the APC chieftain enjoys grassroots support and widespread goodwill across the state.

The governor, however, said the endorsement would not prevent other aspirants from participating in the party primaries. “While this does not in any way preclude all other aspirants from contesting in the primaries, I urge members and leaders to affirm the choice of Seriki as our candidate for cohesion, unity, and continuous success of the party,” he said.

AbdulRazaq also stated that his decision should not be interpreted as a rejection of other governorship aspirants. The endorsement follows days of uncertainty and political manoeuvring within the Kwara APC.

Recall that the 16 APC governorship aspirants had earlier boycotted a strategic meeting convened by the governor in Ilorin after suspecting that it was aimed at imposing a preferred candidate on the party. Only Mohammed Belgore, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), reportedly attended the meeting, which was later postponed.

According to sources, disagreements had emerged over zoning arrangements and the governor’s preference for a successor from the Kwara North Senatorial District.

Party insiders also claimed that some stakeholders had earlier proposed former APC chairman, Bashir Bolarinwa and Senator Saliu Mustapha as possible consensus candidates before attention shifted to Seriki. Seriki, a businessman and APC chieftain from Kwara Central, had previously been mentioned in political consultations linked to the succession debate within the party.

The ruling party has in recent weeks faced growing internal tensions, including disputes surrounding the screening of House of Assembly aspirants; 105 out of 158 Assembly aspirants were screened out by the party’s screening committee, including several serving lawmakers seeking re-election.

Political observers say the outcome of Thursday’s governorship primary could significantly shape the balance of power within Kwara politics ahead of the 2027 general election, especially as the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), led by former Senate President Bukola Saraki, seeks to regain political influence in the state.

Uncertainty in Fubara’s camp as APC holds assembly, guber primaries

IN Rivers State, there is uncertainty in the camp of Governor Siminalayi Fubara over their fate in today’s House of Assembly and tomorrow’s governorship primary. Fubara was among the four governorship aspirants from Rivers APC screened for the primary election, while others were Ovunda Kingsley Chinda, Alabo Dakorinama George-Kelly and Tonye Cole.

It was gathered that the governor’s camp was pensively waiting for the results of the screening committee to know whether the governor would contest the poll. Stakeholders had continued to query the circumstances that surrounded his screening when he appeared before the Abuja panel headed by the National Chairman of the party.

Besides Fubara, all his loyalists, including top supporters like Chijoke Ihunwo and Victor Oko-Jumbo, were among the 65 aspirants who participated in the screening for the House of Assembly primary elections, but were not cleared by the committee.

About 19 of the uncleared aspirants later appeared before the Appeal Panel chaired by Abdul Mahmud. The panel was said to have spent about two days in the state to hear their complaints and later filed its report to the National Working Committee of the party. It was gathered on Tuesday that the loyalists of the governor were still waiting patiently for the results of the appeal panel to know their fate in Wednesday’s primary election.

But a source from the party said it was unlikely that the panel would approve their admission as aspirants because of their failure to produce some missing documents. “Most of them promised to return with the documents, but they did not come back to submit them before the panel closed its sitting”, the source, who spoke in confidence, said.

He, however, said that the governorship panel might clear Fubara to contest in the primary election to reduce tension and backlash. He said: “Even if he is cleared, he cannot win the primary election because he does not have control of the party structure in the state. The result of the primary election will embarrass him”.

It was gathered that the primary election would be between Chinda and George-Kelly, the two members of the Rainbow Coalition of the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike.

But a youth activist, Dr Tom FredFish, has urged APC governors under the umbrella of Progressive Governors Forum to rise

above political silence and collectively defend justice, fairness and democratic principles.

He said, “There is a rising concern over deliberate attempts to politically sideline Governor Fubara through the alleged screening out of his loyalists, while individuals who only recently aligned with the party structure are allegedly being favoured because of their loyalty to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.”

According to him, such actions undermine internal democracy and promote a dangerous political culture where loyalty to powerful individuals is placed above commitment, consistency and democratic participation.

He stressed that Fubara deserves the same privileges, recognition, political protection and opportunities accorded to every APC governor across the federation, including the right to freely seek a second term without intimidation or political obstruction. He further urged the Forum to mobilise its members for a courtesy visit to Preesident Bola Tinubu to collectively demand that Fubara be cleared to contest for a second term and be accorded all rights and privileges due to him as a serving APC governor.

Crisis deepens as Pantami withdraws from Gombe guber race

Fresh crisis has hit the party in Gombe State following the dramatic withdrawal of former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami, from the governorship primaries over alleged violations of the Electoral Act 2026 and manipulation of the electoral process.

Pantami, in a strongly worded protest statement issued Tuesday under the platform of the Pantamiyya Movement, accused the APC leadership in the state of undermining internal democracy and denying aspirants access to critical information required for a transparent and credible direct primary election.

His withdrawal, coming barely 48 hours before the scheduled governorship primary, is expected to heighten tension within the ruling party and further fuel concerns over the credibility of the APC’s ongoing primary elections across the country.

The former minister alleged that the governorship process in Gombe had already been compromised, citing what he described as the “collapse of democratic procedures” during the recently conducted National Assembly direct primaries in the state. According to him, no real election took place during the National Assembly primaries held on May 16 and 18, despite the eventual announcement of results.

Pantami said repeated requests by his legal team seeking clarification on accreditation procedures, voting centres, collation arrangements and observer guidelines were ignored by the party leadership. “In a democracy, the law must guide the process. Noncompliance with the Electoral Act 2026 and party guidelines renders the exercise unsafe and illegitimate,” the statement declared.

He further accused the party of sidelining grassroots members, particularly youths and women, who he said formed the backbone of his support base. Pantami stressed that despite his loyalty to the APC and compliance with all procedures, the party failed to provide the minimum guarantees required for a free and fair contest.

Tinubu faults governors’ excesses over imposition, consensus mismanagement

As outcome of the primaries continues to generate tension and fear of revolt within the ruling party, it was gathered yesterday that President Tinubu has expressed his discontent over the conduct of the legislative primaries, distancing himself from widespread reports of candidate imposition and directing the party’s national leadership to take corrective action.

According to a source, following a late-night meeting at his Ikoyi residence with South-West APC leaders, the President was visibly unsettled by the turn of events across the country during the primaries.

“I am a party constitutional democrat. Yes, I gave governors the privilege to coordinate and take charge of party affairs in their respective states, but I did not ask anyone to impose candidates indiscriminately. Even where necessary, no one should be a judge in his own case,” the President was quoted as saying by sources privy to the meeting.

Tinubu further disclosed that he had since moved to address the fallout. “Where free and fair primary elections did not take place, I have directed the National Chairman and National Secretary to do the needful in restoring the integrity of the party,” he said.

The intervention comes against a backdrop of mounting tensions across the country. The nationwide APC legislative primaries generated significant controversy, with the process in states including Lagos, Ogun, Edo, Ondo, Imo, Rivers, Benue and Adamawa drawing fierce challenges from aggrieved aspirants and party members who alleged irregularities, voter intimidation, candidate imposition and the deliberate sidelining of delegates. (The Guardian)

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