By Obinna Uballa
As Nigeria edges closer to the 2027 general elections, the All Progressives Congress (APC) appears to be positioning itself toward a consensus arrangement to select governorship candidates in key South-West states, with Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Obafemi Hamzat, likely to emerge as the party’s standard-bearer in Lagos.
Punch Newspaper, reported, quoting sources familiar with the party’s deliberations, that the APC is also favoring Senator Olamilekan Adeola, popularly known as Yayi, representing Ogun West and chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, for the governorship in Ogun State.
Meanwhile, Senator Sharafadeen Alli, representing Oyo South Senatorial District, is being lined up for Oyo State.
The purported decisions emerged from a meeting of APC stakeholders from Lagos, Ogun, and Oyo states with President Bola Tinubu at his Lagos residence on Sunday night. The session followed the Eid el-Fitr celebrations hosted by Tinubu, which also brought together Vice President Kashim Shettima and 23 governors from across the country.
Sources told the newspaper that the President and party leaders from the three states held discussions to make strategic decisions on candidate selection ahead of the 2027 elections. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has scheduled the Presidential and National Assembly elections for January 16, 2027, while governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections are slated for February 6, 2027.
In its timetable, INEC stated that political parties are expected to conduct their primaries between April and May 2026, with candidates emerging by the end of May. The Electoral Act 2026 (amended) allows parties to select candidates either through consensus or direct primaries. Traditionally, the APC prefers consensus arrangements, citing the popularity of such candidates and their proven track records in previous elections.
Tinubu returned to Lagos on Friday following a two-day state visit to the United Kingdom. During part of his Sallah break, he reportedly engaged in discussions regarding potential successors in the South-West, with Lagos, Ogun, and Oyo states being the focus, as these are the only South-West states holding governorship elections in 2027.
Sources said the Lagos meeting of APC stakeholders with the President was detailed and lengthy, covering party strategy and candidate selection. One insider, speaking on condition of anonymity, said: “The choices of Hamzat, Yayi, and Alli were arrived at after a prolonged discussion with the President, taking into account the collective opinions of those present and the popularity of the candidates in their respective states.”
Among those reportedly in attendance were Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila; Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele; Governors Babajide Sanwo-Olu (Lagos), Dapo Abiodun (Ogun), and Biodun Oyebanji (Ekiti); and Executive Chairman of the Nigeria Revenue Service, Zaccheaus Adedeji, among other top stakeholders. The report submitted to the President was said to have been prepared during an earlier meeting at the Senate Leader’s residence in Abuja about two weeks prior.
Consensus and Compensations
The meeting acknowledged dissenting voices against the recommendations but agreed to work toward consensus to provide a “soft landing” for aspirants who might be affected. In Lagos, Minister of Education Tunji Alausa is reportedly lobbying to emerge as the consensus candidate. Sources say Alausa has insisted on remaining in office to focus on delivering the Renewed Hope Agenda, despite online reports suggesting he would resign to pursue the governorship.
Other serious aspirants for the Lagos APC governorship ticket include Femi Gbajabiamila, former Governor Akinwunmi Ambode, Speaker of the State House of Assembly Mudashiru Obasa, Chief of Staff to Governor Sanwo-Olu Tayo Ayinde, Private Secretary to the President Hakeem Muri-Okunola, Senator representing Lagos East Tokunbo Abiru, Commissioner for the Environment Tokunbo Wahab, Jide Adediran (Jandor), and Samuel Ajose (SMA).
In Ogun State, the selection of Yayi reportedly conflicts with the preference of Governor Dapo Abiodun, who supports Senator Shaibu Afolabi Salisu of Ogun Central, citing his role in Abiodun’s 2019 election victory. Former governor and party leader Chief Olusegun Osoba, however, does not support this choice. Former governor Senator Ibikunle Amosun is expected to contest the Ogun Central senatorial seat in 2027, potentially displacing Salisu. Sources said the governor is seeking ways to compensate Salisu while paving the way for Amosun.
In Oyo State, the selection of Alli reportedly enjoys broad support among APC stakeholders and traditional rulers, including Oba Rashidi Ladoja, the Olubadan of Ibadan and former Oyo State governor. Alli, who previously served as Secretary to the Oyo State Government, Chief of Staff under Ladoja, and Chairman of Odu’a Investment, later became senator for Oyo South.
The meeting also considered Remi Oseni, member representing Ido-Ibarapa East, due to his grassroots popularity and performance in the House of Representatives. To accommodate Oseni, the party reportedly agreed to offer him the Oyo South Senate seat as compensation for his support base of over 200,000 members.
Discussions reportedly noted that Alli may serve only one term as governor to allow a candidate from outside Ibadan to emerge in 2031. Other Oyo APC aspirants include Teslim Folarin, Senator Abdulfatai Buhari, Minister of Power Bayo Adelabu, former Deputy Governor Rauf Olaniyan, lawyer Akeem Agbaje, former Minister of Communications Adebayo Shittu, former Oyo Health Commissioner Azeez Adeduntan, Saheed Oladele, Gbenga Adegbola, and Kunle Busari, son of the late political leader Chief Busari Adelakun.
Sources said issues surrounding Minister of Power Bayo Adelabu were raised, as he reportedly lacks popularity in Oyo State and faces resistance from party leaders and members. Adelabu, who previously ran for the governorship on the Accord platform in 2023, lost decisively to Governor Seyi Makinde and only recently returned to the APC, earning a ministerial appointment. The consensus at the meeting suggests that Alli is viewed as the only candidate capable of uniting the party ahead of the elections.
The APC has begun consultations on adopting consensus candidates for governorship and National Assembly elections to foster internal cohesion and reduce post-primary disputes.
Deputy National Organising Secretary Nze Chidi Duru told the newspaper that while the party leans toward consensus, aspirants wishing to test their popularity through primaries are not excluded. He emphasised that the “first right of refusal” principle is anchored on performance, party ideology, and the need to present candidates capable of delivering on the party’s manifesto.
Duru explained that the approach aligns with constitutional provisions allowing executives to seek a second term and argued that granting incumbents the opportunity to run again keeps party leaders accountable and incentivises performance.
However, political analysts, including Professor Hassan Saliu, president of the Nigerian Political Science Association (NPSA), and the Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP), cautioned that consensus candidacy risks becoming an imposition rather than a genuine agreement, undermining democratic fairness.
CUPP’s publicity secretary, Mark Adebayo, noted that in Nigeria, consensus often becomes a top-down declaration, causing internal conflicts.
The APC’s national convention, scheduled for March 27–28, 2026, in Abuja, is expected to formalise key decisions on party structure, strategy, and preparations for the 2027 elections.
Meanwhile, South-West stakeholders, particularly in Oyo State, are scheduled to meet on March 27 to deliberate compensations for aspirants before Alli formally declares his governorship bid.
