APC House of Reps Primaries Kick Off Amid Tension, Fierce Lobbying

The All Progressives Congress kicked off its House of Representatives primaries on Saturday amid rising tensions, collapsed consensus deals, and accusations of candidate imposition across multiple states.

The primaries, originally scheduled for Friday, were shifted to Saturday after consensus negotiations failed in numerous constituencies. What was meant to be a streamlined candidate selection process has instead exposed deep fractures within the ruling party as it prepares for the 2027 general elections.

President Bola Tinubu weighed in on Thursday with a personal statement urging members to conduct themselves as “sportsmen and women” and warning against the return of “do-or-die” politics that he said the party had left behind.

“In every contest, there will be a winner and a loser. I urge the winners not to gloat in victory and the losers to show sportsmanship by taking things in their stride,” Tinubu said. “Our opponents are waiting for us to be against each other; we should disappoint them.”

Consensus collapses nationwide

Despite the President’s appeal, consensus arrangements have collapsed in states including Taraba, Kano, Kaduna, Oyo, Yobe, and Abia. Aspirants who purchased nomination forms are resisting pressure to step down for preferred candidates, insisting on testing their popularity through direct primaries.

In Abia State, Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu moved to calm tensions by dismissing speculation that certain aspirants had received automatic tickets. “There is no automatic ticket and no list by anybody,” Kalu declared at a stakeholders’ meeting in Umuahia.

Kano State saw consensus negotiations drag late into Friday night with party leaders struggling to avert divisive contests across the 24 federal constituencies. The Kano APC Publicity Secretary, Auwal Soja, admitted that direct primaries would hold wherever consensus arrangements fail.

Protests and unrest

In Oyo State, angry APC members staged a protest at the party secretariat in Ibadan over alleged attempts to impose candidates. The state APC Publicity Secretary, Olawale Sadare, alleged that hoodlums invaded the secretariat, damaged vehicles, and attacked party officials.

Yobe State Governor Mai Mala Buni returned to the state to personally supervise reconciliation meetings after intense disagreements among aspirants. Vice-President Kashim Shettima had earlier intervened in the governorship succession battle following complaints about alleged endorsement moves.

In Kaduna, Governor Uba Sani constituted a high-powered reconciliation committee to address grievances. The commissioner for information, Ahmed Maiyaki, said the committee was designed to prevent internal divisions and sustain party unity.

The stakes

The APC primaries are taking place under the Electoral Act 2026, which reduced the statutory notice period for elections from 360 to 300 days. Speaker Tajudeen Abbas has noted this change could allow Presidential and National Assembly elections to be held in January 2027.

The exercises run through to the presidential primary scheduled for May 25, 2026. Party leaders are under pressure to preserve cohesion before the primaries gather full momentum.

Tinubu directed governors and party leaders to ensure a level playing field and rise above personal sentiment. He also called for special consideration for women and youth in the contests, and instructed security agencies to limit their role strictly to maintaining peace.

Whether the party can contain the unrest remains to be seen. For now, the cracks are visible — and the opposition is watching closely.

Sources: Punch, Daily Trust, New Telegraph, The Nation, Politics Nigeria