•Peter Obi
Two days to the deadline for the conclusion of all primary elections, six of the political parties participating in the 2027 presidential elections have confirmed their candidates.
Among those that have concluded their presidential primaries and confirmed their candidates are the All Progressives Congress (APC) which is fielding President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) Atiku Abubakar, Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) Donald Duke, Social Democratic Party, (SDP), Adewole Adebayo, Africa Action Congress (AAC) Omoyele Sowore and Sandy Onor is the candidate of the Nyesom Wike backed Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), reports Daily Trust.
Atiku wins ADC primary
At the end of collation yesterday, the ADC declared that out of a total of 3, 113,599 million registered members, only 2,527,977 voted.
The declared results show that Atiku won with 1, 846,370 votes while Amaechi polled 504, 117 and Hayatu-Deen, 177, 120 votes.
The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) is expected to affirm the 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Mr Peter Obi as its presidential candidate as he is the sole aspirant for the presidential ticket of the party.
There are indications that the Accord Party would also affirm governor of Oyo State, Seyi Makinde, as its presidential candidate before Saturday.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had set May 30, as the deadline for the conclusion of all primary elections for the parties to elect their candidates for the various offices for contest in 2027 which are State House of Assembly, National Assembly, governorship as well as the presidential elections.
The conduct of party primaries, including resolution of disputes arising from primaries, commenced on 23rd April 2026 and is expected to end on Saturday, May 30, 2026.
As the exercise commenced on May 23, the political parties fixed their primaries on different dates with the last one being the presidential primary of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) where former Vice President Atiku Abubakar emerged winner defeating former governor of Rivers State Rotimi Amaechi and banker, Mohammed Hayatu-Deen.
Our correspondents report that the exercise was marred by allegations of vote manipulations and non- compliance with the Electoral Act, which led some aggrieved aspirants to quit their parties.
Among those that left their parties due to frustration from the conduct of their primaries are former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami, former Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu and former Deputy President of the Senate, Ovie Omo-Agege.
Our correspondents report the circumstances under which the parties elected their candidates.
Tinubu and the 10.9m votes
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu emerged the APC presidential candidate for the 2027 general election on Monday.
In the result of the APC primaries held across the country, President Tinubu secured 10.9 million votes.
He defeated his lone challenger, Stanley Osifo, who polled 16,504 votes, in the election held across 8,809 wards in the country.
Osifo expressed satisfaction with the process and congratulated the president while he was being presented with the certificate of return.
PRP: Donald Duke
The Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), on Tuesday, declared a former Governor of Cross River, Donald Duke, as its presidential flag bearer for the 2027 general elections.
The party’s National Chairman, Dr Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, who made the announcement at the PRP national secretariat in Abuja, said Duke secured the presidential ticket after scoring the highest votes at the primary election.
Baba-Ahmed stated that Duke swept the polls with 6,499 votes, with his closest rival, Kingsley Yakubu, who mounted a nationwide campaign focusing on youth inclusion and economic reform, scoring 2,699 votes.
He said that Dr Nnaoke Ufere, an academic and policy expert, came third with 784 votes.
While declaring the official results, Baba-Ahmed said that the exercise was free, credible and devoid of any form of bias.
Sowore emerges AAC presidential candidate
Human rights activist Omoyele Sowore also emerged as the presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC) for the 2027 elections.
Sowore was declared the AAC candidate during the party’s presidential primaries held in Abuja.
In his address, the chairman of the AAC primary election committee, Kayode Babayemi, said Sowore’s adoption shows the party’s confidence in his commitment to justice, good governance, and democracy.
While accepting his nomination as the AAC flag bearer, Sowore described the party as the only genuine opposition in Nigeria.
“This year, our party, the African Action Congress, turns eight years old. As the only registered socialist party in Nigeria and indeed the only genuine opposition, we have stood firm as a moral and ideological alternative to the criminal conspiracy that other parties disguise as democracy,” Sowore said.
Adebayo: SDP’s presidential candidate
Prince Adewole Adebayo also emerged as the sole presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) for the 2027 general elections.
He was reported to have been elected by delegates from the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) during the party’s 2026 national convention held on Saturday at the Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa Memorial Stadium in Bauchi.
In his acceptance speech, the Ondo-born politician said he joined the presidential race to rescue Nigeria from its current challenges, describing the nation’s condition as alarming.
“Nigerians are hungry and homeless. We are jobless. We are without peace. We are without leadership,” he said.
Makinde, Hashim to be affirmed
Oyo State governor, Engr. Seyi Makinde, has also formally declared his intention to contest the 2027 presidential election on the platform of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM).
The governor disclosed this at a rally held at Mapo Hall in Ibadan, amid a growing political realignment in the state following the factionalissrion of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) ahead of the 2027 general election.
Makinde had earlier led the Tanimu Turaki faction of the PDP in Oyo State to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the APM as part of a strategic alliance for the forthcoming elections.
Under the agreement, candidates of the PDP faction loyal to him and contesting for governorship, Senate, House of Representatives and State House of Assembly seats were expected to run on the platform of the APM rather than the PDP in the 2027 elections.
A former presidential candidate and 2027 presidential hopeful, Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim, moved to the Accord Party and declared his intention to contest the 2027 presidential election on the party’s platform.
He said over one million supporters have so far been mobilised into the Accord Party as part of efforts to build a formidable political movement ahead of the 2027 general elections.
“We have quietly mobilised about one million of our supporters into the Accord Party, and we are still doing so,” he said.
Hashim also reacted to reports suggesting that the Accord Party would not field a presidential candidate in 2027, saying it is not true.
He is one of those expected to be affirmed before Saturday.
I believe Amaechi, Hayatu-Deen will take their grievance to the Appeal committee.
Meanwhile speaking on the concerns raised by Amaechi and Hayatu-Deen, a chieftain of the ADC Kola Ologbondiyan told our correspondent that aggrieved parties will take their case to the appeal committee.
He said the party has its internal mechanism of dealing with such issues and believed that the aspirants will approach the committee.
He said, “There is an appeal committee after the Primary election. Those that have issues I believe will take their case there. Also the party has several internal mechanism in dealing with the issue. So I believe the issue will be resolved soon. “
Meanwhile efforts to get the reaction of the National Publicity Secretary of the party, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi was not successful.
He is yet to respond to messages sent to his phone as at the time of filing this report.
