President Tinubu Meets Progressive Governors, Demands Transparent And Credible Primaries
In a closed-door meeting held at the Presidential Villa on Thursday, April 23, 2026, President Bola Tinubu issued a direct mandate to the governors of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to prioritize transparency. According to The Sun Nigeria , the President handed down a "marching order" for the governors to oversee free and fair primaries ahead of the 2027 general elections. This directive specifically charged the 32 state executives to ensure that the candidate selection process remains credible and devoid of the typical internal friction that can destabilize a political organization.
The President emphasized that these internal polls must strictly align with the Electoral Act to prevent legal challenges and maintain the party's democratic integrity. The primary goal of this instruction is to preserve the unity and cohesion of the APC by ensuring that the process is inclusive and legally sound. By ceding this level of supervision to the governors, President Tinubu aim to foster a "rancour-free" environment where the party can emerge stronger and more united for the upcoming national contests.
Following their closed-door session at the State House, Governors AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq of Kwara and Mohammed Bago of Niger briefed the press on the President’s strategy for party stability. The discussions centered on building a more cohesive APC by ensuring that the upcoming internal elections do not leave the party fractured. President Tinubu underscored the importance of unity, urging the governors to manage the process in a way that strengthens the party’s foundation ahead of future challenges.
In a significant move, the President officially ceded his executive influence over the process to the state executives. Governor AbdulRazaq, who chairs the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, revealed that Tinubu gave them a "marching order" to take full responsibility for the conduct of the primaries. This delegation of power allows states the flexibility to choose between consensus or direct primaries, provided the methods strictly adhere to the provisions of the Electoral Act.
Governor Bago confirmed that the President has given his full blessing for the primaries to move forward according to the newly released timetable. By reaffirming his support for state-level autonomy in these elections, Tinubu aims to ensure the exercise is transparent and legally sound. The governors expressed their gratitude for this trust, noting that the clear roadmap and presidential backing are essential for maintaining order within the ruling party.
“So he’s retracted his support for our decision, and he has given us a go-ahead. To go ahead. Meeting with Mr President. I met with Mr President. The timetable for the primaries has been released.
“We’ve discussed the process moving forward so that there’ll be free and fair elections, no rancour at the end of the process, the party should be stronger, stronger than ever heading towards the election”.
The meeting was attended by a high-powered delegation of state executives, including Hope Uzodimma (Imo), Chairman of the Progressive Governors’ Forum, alongside Inuwa Yahaya (Gombe), Babagana Zulum (Borno), Hyacinth Alia (Benue), Biodun Oyebanji (Ekiti), Peter Mbah (Enugu), and AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq (Kwara). For states where the governors could not attend in person, their deputy governors provided representation to ensure all regions were included in the deliberations.