The All Progressives Congress (APC) on Thursday conducted governorship primaries across 28 states of the federation, producing candidates for the February 6, 2027, governorship elections through a mix of consensus affirmations, direct primaries, and unopposed declarations — while also rescheduling the exercise in Bauchi and Kwara states to Friday, May 22, and postponing two House of Assembly primaries in Zamfara to May 24.
The results confirmed Deputy Governor Obafemi Hamzat as the Lagos APC governorship candidate with a commanding 657,917 votes, Wike ally Kingsley Ogundu Chinda as the Rivers State flagbearer following Governor Fubara’s dramatic withdrawal, Senator Solomon Olamilekan Adeola (Yayi) as the Ogun candidate unopposed, and Dr Jamilu Ishiaku Gwamna as the Gombe winner after defeating two other aspirants who had earlier withdrawn but whose names remained on the ballot.
Multiple first-term governors were affirmed for second-term tickets through consensus across the country, while protests erupted in Osun over alleged manipulation of a House of Assembly primary result.
Lagos: Hamzat Wins with 657,917 Votes
The APC in Lagos State declared Deputy Governor Obafemi Hamzat as its governorship candidate for the 2027 election following a primary held at the party secretariat in Acme, Ogba.
The Chairman of the APC National Governorship Election Committee, Gen. Jon Temlong (retd.), announced the result in the presence of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Senator Ganiyu Solomon, former Deputy Governor Femi Pedro, local government chairmen, members of the Lagos State Executive Council, and lawmakers.
Hamzat secured 657,917 votes out of 657,974 accredited votes cast, while his challenger, Lanre Jim-Kamal, polled just one vote. Another aspirant, Samuel Ajose, had withdrawn before the exercise.
In his acceptance speech, Hamzat expressed gratitude to Governor Sanwo-Olu, the Governance Advisory Council (GAC), and President Bola Tinubu. “With humility, I accept the candidacy of the APC in the upcoming 2027 elections,” Hamzat stated.
Rivers: Wike Ally Chinda Emerges After Fubara Withdraws
In Rivers State, Hon. Kingsley Ogundu Chinda, an ally of FCT Minister Nyesom Wike, was declared the APC governorship candidate, emerging as the sole aspirant after Governor Siminalayi Fubara and other aspirants withdrew from the primaries on the eve of the election.
Bitrus Kwamoti, Chairman of the APC governorship primary election committee, declared Chinda the flagbearer at the APC Secretariat in Port Harcourt after receiving results from collation officers across the 23 local government areas. Chinda polled a total of 268,497 votes.
Fubara had issued a statement on Wednesday saying he was stepping aside “not out of weakness, fear, or surrender, but out of conviction and sacrifice so that Rivers State may move forward in peace and unity.” His withdrawal effectively cleared the field for the Wike-backed candidate, completing Wike’s consolidation of control over the APC machinery in Rivers State.
Ogun: Senator Yayi Unopposed
Senator Solomon Olamilekan Adeola, popularly known as Yayi, emerged unopposed as the APC governorship flagbearer in Ogun State following a peaceful primary marked by massive turnout across the state’s 236 wards.
His emergence followed the withdrawal of the only other aspirant, Hon. Abayomi Hundeyi, and more than 10 other aspirants who had stepped down in his favour. Adeola had earlier been endorsed as the consensus candidate during a stakeholders’ meeting.
Governor Dapo Abiodun, speaking after participating in the exercise, said over 700 aspirants had initially shown interest in various elective positions under the APC ahead of 2027. “No one was compelled to step down. There is no winner and no vanquished,” Abiodun stated.
Gombe: Gwamna Wins Despite Withdrawals
In Gombe State, Dr Jamilu Ishiaku Gwamna was declared the APC governorship candidate after polling 247,161 votes out of 556,081 accredited voters who participated across the 11 local government areas.
Former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Prof. Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami, scored 12,120 votes as first runner-up, while former Minister of Transportation, Senator Saidu Ahmed Alkali, polled 11,612 votes as second runner-up — despite both having submitted written withdrawal notices. The committee chairman, Senator Sani Abubakar Danladi, explained that the withdrawal letters were submitted after the commencement of the electoral process and their names had already appeared on the ballot papers.
Gwamna, who had been picked as the consensus candidate amid resistance from other aspirants, previously contested the PDP governorship primaries in 2018 and 2022 as runner-up, and was the ANPP gubernatorial candidate in the 2007 election.