Thirty governors of the All Progressives Congress (APC), including Hope Uzodimma of Imo, Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers, and former Secretary to Oyo State Government, Sarafadeen Alli, were among aspirants cleared for the primaries of the party ahead of the 2027 elections, even as a flood of petitions stalled the release of the screening report.
Party sources confirming the development to Vanguard disclosed that as part of activities to meet the timelines of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the polls, the APC had announced that it would publish the names of cleared aspirants on May 13, but at press time on Wednesday night, the party was yet to release the screening report.
The party had screened no fewer than 2,980 aspirants for one presidential slot, 28 governorship, 109 Senate, 360 House of Representatives, and 991 state assembly positions.
“We Are Still Working On The Screening Report”
Asked why the report had not been released as scheduled, a top party leader said: “We are still working on the screening report to make sure everything goes well.”
Told that May 13 was almost over, he said: “The day is not over.”
Pressed further, the source said the party received many petitions from the eight panels that conducted the screening.
“For instance, one of the panels received 10 petitions and the petitions have to be treated on their merit,” the source said.
“No Governor Has Been Booted Out”
On reports that Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, had been disqualified, the source firmly denied the claim.
“Nooo! No governor has been booted out. The party has always supported its governors. Some of them like Uzodimma got automatic clearance,” the source said.
Consensus As First Option
To ensure that the party approaches the polls as a united front, the source said the APC hierarchy was working towards consensus but where that fails, direct primaries will be held in accordance with the Electoral Act.
“We know some of the high profile aspirants don’t want to consent, and are ready to go to court. We don’t want that,” he said.
Adelabu, Alli And The Oyo Equation
Another source told Vanguard that former Power Minister, Adebayo Adelabu, who is eyeing the Oyo State governorship, has issues and may not be cleared. The source added that Sarafadeen Alli, who had been cleared, has the support of the party.
Ogun East — “The Matter Has Not Been Settled”
On the battle for the Ogun East senatorial ticket between Governor Dapo Abiodun and Senator Gbenga Daniel, the source said: “The matter has not been settled. Daniel is not ready to consent to consensus.”
“Daniel Benefited From Same Consensus Process He Now Attacks” — Ogun Government
Meanwhile, the Ogun State Government on Wednesday lashed out at the lawmaker representing Ogun East, Senator Gbenga Daniel, describing his recent criticisms of Governor Dapo Abiodun as “the rantings of a drowning politician” who is now demonising the same political arrangement that facilitated his emergence as Senator in 2023.
The government said it was ironic that Daniel, who allegedly benefited from the APC consensus arrangement through the intervention of Governor Abiodun ahead of the 2023 elections, had suddenly turned against the same party structure and collective decision-making process that secured his senatorial ticket.
Daniel, during his Midterm Assessment and Empowerment Tour in Ijebu Ode, had accused Governor Abiodun of neglecting Ijebuland, frustrating federal projects attracted to him, causing Ogun State to lose the proposed Dangote Refinery project, and opposing the establishment of a Naval base in Abigi.
However, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Media and Strategy, Mr. Kayode Akinmade, in a statement, dismissed the allegations as baseless, politically motivated and symptomatic of a politician allegedly battling declining influence within the APC.
The state government argued that the former governor had resorted to “cheap propaganda and outright falsehood” after allegedly realising that his political ambitions ahead of the 2027 elections had suffered a setback.
“He Is Demonising The Same Process That Produced Him”
The statement reads: “Daniel is simply fighting the same consensus arrangement and party structure that produced him as Senator in 2023. It is shocking that someone who benefited immensely from the collective decision of the party is now demonising the same process simply because it no longer aligns with his personal ambition.
“The governor ensured a peaceful consensus arrangement that paved the way for Daniel’s emergence as the APC senatorial candidate. It is, therefore, ironic that the same individual now seeks to discredit the party and its leadership merely because he could not have his way politically.
“Everybody in the state, especially in Ijebuland, appreciates the modest achievements of Governor Dapo Abiodun. Most of the deplorable roads abandoned by previous administrations have now been fixed, while about 29 major road projects have been completed in Ijebu Ode alone.
“It is interesting that Daniel, who left office in 2011 when the exchange rate hovered between N150 and N170 to a dollar, is now claiming he would have executed more projects with current allocations at a time the dollar exchanges for over N1,370. In his desperation to attack the governor, he ignored basic economic realities.”
The statement further accused Senator Daniel of engaging in anti-party activities during the 2023 governorship election and other political contests in the state.
“The leadership and stakeholders of the APC in Ogun East became uncomfortable with Daniel’s repeated anti-party activities, including openly supporting opposition elements during the 2023 governorship election and other elections in the state,” it stated.
On the recent APC stakeholders’ meeting in Ijebu Ode, Akinmade said: “The party took a collective decision, but he behaves as though he is bigger than the party. When Governor Abiodun was adopted as the consensus candidate for Ogun East, stakeholders from the ward, local government and state levels were all present. So why is he now fighting the same process that once worked in his favour?”
“He Secured Landslide Victory” — Ex-Governor’s Camp
Reacting to the claims by the state government, the Media Aide to Senator Daniel, Steve Oliyide, said his boss secured a landslide victory during the primary election that produced him as Senatorial candidate of the district.
Oliyide stated that Daniel went through the primary election, as against the claims by the State government that the exercise was merely a “consensus arrangement.”
