•Tinubu and APC logo
The political landscape within the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has taken shape ahead of the May 23 presidential primary, with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and businessman Osifo Stanley emerging as the two contenders for the party’s presidential ticket.
As the deadline for the sale of expression-of-interest and nomination forms closes tomorrow, Monday, May 4, indications point to a strong preference within the party for continuity at the federal level, even as internal contests deepen across several states, reports The Nation.
Party sources confirmed that, barring last-minute entries before the cutoff, the presidential race remains a two-man contest, with Tinubu seeking a second term and Stanley positioning himself as a challenger.
A source within the party’s Election Committee disclosed that both men are the only aspirants who have obtained nomination forms for the presidency.
At the state level, the race for governorship tickets across 28 states has attracted 83 aspirants. However, emerging trends suggest a significant tilt toward consensus in several states.
Of the 17 first-term APC governors, 13 are expected to secure their tickets unopposed, effectively turning their May 21 primaries into affirmation exercises. These include governors in Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Delta, Ebonyi, Enugu, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Niger, Sokoto and Zamfara.
In contrast, a number of incumbents are facing competitive primaries. In Benue, Governor Hyacinth Alia is set to contend with two challengers, while Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara will face intra-party opposition. Similar contests are expected in Plateau and Taraba states, where multiple aspirants have entered the race.
Kwara State leads in the number of aspirants, with 15 contenders vying for the party’s ticket, followed by Adamawa with eight. Oyo and Yobe each have six aspirants, while Bauchi and Nasarawa have five apiece. Other states, including Abia, Taraba, Gombe, Lagos, Borno and Ogun, have varying numbers of aspirants.
In Lagos, however, party stakeholders are said to be working toward adopting a consensus candidate to minimise internal divisions ahead of the primaries.
The party’s timetable allows aspirants until midnight on May 5 to submit completed nomination forms at the Ladi Kwali International Conference Centre, Abuja.
Some aspirants have already completed the process. Among them are Senator Olamilekan Adeola in Ogun State, as well as former Inspector-General of Police Mohammed Adamu and Professor Mohammad Sani Haruna in Nasarawa State.
With off-cycle states such as Anambra, Bayelsa, Edo, Ekiti, Imo, Kogi, Ondo, and Osun excluded, the APC is set to enter a crucial screening phase to determine its candidates for the 2027 general elections.
