The North-Central All Progressives Congress (NC APC) Forum has rejected calls for incumbent governors to contest primary elections before securing the party’s ticket for the 2027 elections, describing such proposals as “a serious disrespect to the Office of the Governor.”
In a statement on Thursday, Chairman Saleh Zazzaga warned that forcing governors into primaries could destabilize the party and create opportunities for the opposition to exploit internal divisions. “The biggest assets the party has are the President and the state governors. Allowing anybody to go into primaries with them is disrespecting the governors and indirectly undermining the well-being of the party,” he said.
The Forum recalled that since Nigeria’s return to democratic rule in 1999, presidents and governors seeking reelection have typically secured their parties’ tickets unopposed. It cited the 2019 elections, when late former President Muhammadu Buhari and returning APC governors faced no primary challenges. “The governors should get the party’s ticket unopposed for the 2027 election. That has been the tradition since the APC came into power in 2015,” the statement added.
Zazzaga cautioned that opening governorship tickets to contest while incumbents seek a second term could lead to disunity, confusion, and crises within the party. He emphasized that primaries should only occur in states where governors have completed their tenure and new candidates are required.
The Forum also rejected calls for the National Working Committee to withhold party structures from incumbent governors, insisting that party leadership rests with governors at the state level. Any alteration to the status quo, the group warned, could provoke resistance and destabilize the APC ahead of the 2027 elections.
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