A report indicates that the All Progressives Congress (APC) may abandon its consensus strategy in some states for the 2027 elections.
Sources who spoke to Punch disclosed that this is due to deepening rivalries and stalled negotiations.
According to the sources, direct primaries may be adopted in states where “agreements prove difficult.”
This is happening as the deadline set by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for political parties to submit their candidate lists nears.
As such, barring any last-minute change of mind, the APC is set to unveil its timetable for the primary elections for aspirants seeking to contest in the 2027 National Assembly, governorship and presidential elections.
Multiple APC chieftains told the aforementioned publication that the party’s National Chairman, Nentawe Yilwatda, ran the timetable by President Bola Tinubu over the weekend.
Having been cleared by the President, the party is set to unveil it on Monday (today), all things being equal.
The party is racing to conclude all primary elections and submit the list of candidates to INEC before the commission’s deadline.
While consensus candidates for governorship positions have been finalised in Lagos, Oyo, and Ogun states, the party is yet to reach a solid agreement on consensus candidates in other states, especially those where the governors are in their second term.
The publication’s findings show that the APC is still struggling to reach a deal on its consensus governorship candidates in Nasarawa, Kwara, Adamawa, Yobe, and Bauchi.
There are indications that the President may step in to resolve the impasse in Nasarawa, Kwara and Adamawa States
A top APC chieftain, who is close to the development, said, “Consultations and negotiations are still ongoing on coming up with consensus governorship candidates in other states aside from Lagos, Ogun and Oyo that have been concluded.
“We are giving preference to the governors. The incumbent governors will be allowed to choose their successors. However, where there are disagreements with the governor’s candidate, as is the case in some states currently, we will go into direct primaries.”
Another party chieftain said that while governors defecting to the APC will be allowed to choose their successors, APC chieftains in the state would be allowed to nominate candidates for NASS positions.
It was, however, learned that the concessions differ from state to state.
A senior APC source said, “Consultations and negotiations are still ongoing in many states, but the reality is that consensus cannot be forced. We are giving preference to incumbent governors to guide the choice of their successors because they understand the local dynamics. However, where there are disagreements with the governor’s preferred candidate, and stakeholders refuse to align, we will have no option but to go into direct primaries to allow a more open contest.”
Another official added, “The party cannot afford a situation where imposition leads to rebellion. If people feel excluded or short-changed, it could trigger defections or anti-party activities. So, in states where consensus is proving difficult, direct primaries may be the safer and more democratic route.”