The North-Central All Progressives Congress (APC) Forum has opposed suggestions that incumbent governors seeking a second term should contest party primaries ahead of the 2027 general elections.The forum was reacting to recent remarks by the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Nentawe Yilwatda, who stated that there would be no automatic tickets for governors and other aspirants.In a statement issued on Thursday and signed by its chairman, Alhaji Saleh Zazzaga, the forum described governors as the party’s “biggest assets” and warned that subjecting them to primaries could trigger internal crises and weaken the APC ahead of the polls.
The forum argued that since Nigeria’s return to democracy in 1999, sitting presidents and governors seeking re-election have typically secured party tickets unopposed. It cited the 2019 elections, when former President Muhammadu Buhari and returning APC governors emerged without contest.According to the forum, forcing incumbent governors into primaries would be “disrespectful” to their offices and could open the door for internal sabotage or opposition interference, potentially undermining the party’s electoral chances.However, it clarified that primaries should be conducted in states where governors have completed their constitutionally allowed tenure, to allow for the emergence of new candidates.
The forum also rejected calls for the APC National Working Committee to withhold party structures from governors, insisting that governors remain the party’s leaders at the state level.It urged the APC leadership to avoid decisions that could destabilise the party ahead of the 2027 elections.
