President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Thursday met with the All Progressives Congress (APC) governors at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, as consultations intensify ahead of the party’s primaries.
The meeting came barely 24 hours after the President held an emergency session with the leadership of the Nigerian Senate amid rising concerns over candidate selection in several states.
Governors present included Babagana Zulum (Borno), Hope Uzodimma (Imo), Inuwa Yahaya (Gombe), Hyacinth Alia (Benue), Biodun Oyebanji (Ekiti), Peter Mbah (Enugu) and AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq (Kwara), while others were represented by their deputies.
At the governors’ meeting, discussions focused on ensuring a smooth and inclusive primary process.
Chairman of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum, AbdulRazaq, said the aim was to guarantee transparent primaries and party unity.
“We have discussed the process moving forward so that there will be free and fair elections without rancour. At the end, the party should emerge stronger,” he said.
Niger State Governor Umar Bago said the President reaffirmed his support for the governors and granted them flexibility to adopt either consensus or direct primaries, in line with the Electoral Act.
The meetings form part of ongoing efforts by the APC leadership to manage internal tensions and strengthen cohesion ahead of the 2027 general elections.
A National Assembly source disclosed that the earlier meeting with senators centred on complaints over the growing use of consensus arrangements in state chapters, allegedly controlled by governors.
The development, the source said, has sidelined some lawmakers seeking return tickets to the Senate.
“The governors have taken charge of the structures in their states, leaving many senators stranded,” the source said.