Politics

Automatic ticket: Tinubu leaves lawmakers’ fate in govs’ hands

Published

2 months ago

April 24, 2026

President Bola Tinubu has rebuffed lobbying efforts by the leadership of the Senate to secure automatic return tickets for the ruling party’s sitting legislators ahead of the 2027 general elections, instead reaffirming the authority of state governors over the selection of candidates in their respective states, The PUNCH reports.

This was as he formally empowered governors to drive the primaries process after a meeting with the state executives on Thursday evening.

Our correspondents gathered that the President’s position has deepened anxiety among federal lawmakers, including several senators whose relationships with their governors have been strained.

The President made the decision at a closed-door meeting with the extended leadership of the Senate at the Presidential Villa on Wednesday evening.

Tinubu had earlier suggested that he would “do everything within the party’s power” to ensure the return of serving legislators, a promise that raised expectations in the National Assembly.

Multiple senior National Assembly sources familiar with the meeting said the senators had gone to the Villa specifically to press for Tinubu’s assurances.

The source said, “The meeting was to plead for automatic tickets for senators but President Tinubu insisted that the governor of each state has the influence over candidates.

“They made a case for continuity and stability and argued for automatic tickets, but the President was very clear in his response.

“He told them plainly that governors were the leaders of the party in their states and must have a say on who gets the ticket.”

One of our correspondents had spotted the official Mercedes sedan of Senate President Godswill Akpabio and Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, arriving at the Villa at minutes past 5pm on Wednesday.

The PUNCH also learned that the visit that was not on the President’s official schedule for the day.

Senate Majority Leader Michael Opeyemi Bamidele, in a post on his verified X account in the early hours of Thursday, confirmed the gathering, describing it as a session that deliberated on “matters of urgent national importance” following a resolution passed at a closed executive session of the Senate earlier that day.

“Far-reaching decisions were taken at this strategic meeting,” Bamidele wrote.

Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga separately confirmed the meeting, describing it as a consultation between Tinubu and “the extended leadership of the Senate.”

Less than 24 hours later, President Tinubu convened a second meeting, this time with APC governors.

The governors’ meeting, initially scheduled for 4pm at the Council Chamber, began at approximately 5pm after the venue was moved to the Conference Room of the President’s Office.

Present were Prof. Babagana Zulum of Borno State, Hope Uzodimma of Imo State, Inuwa Yahaya of Gombe State, Hyacinth Alia of Benue State, Biodun Oyebanji of Ekiti State, Peter Mbah of Enugu State, and AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq of Kwara State, among others.

Some states were represented by their deputy governors.

Niger State Governor, Mohammed Bago, who spoke to State House correspondents revealed that Tinubu had formally empowered governors to drive the primaries process.

Bago said, “We came to thank the President for his magnanimity and his support to the governors and for our party, the APC.

“He gave us a matching order on what to do for him, he has given and ceded his executive power to the governors to go ahead and conduct primaries based on the Electoral Act, either a consensus or direct primaries.

“So he has reiterated his support for our decision, and he has given us a go ahead.”

Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq confirmed the development saying, “The timetable for the primaries has been released. We’ve discussed the process moving forward so that there will be free and fair elections, no rancour, at the end of the process, so the party comes out stronger, stronger than ever, heading towards the election.”

Tinubu’s stance on the automatic came days after the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, said granting automatic tickets is not part of the party’s ethos.

At a media chat in Abuja on April 17, Nentawe said, “There is no automatic ticket in our constitution. The party cannot promise an automatic ticket.

“The constitution of the party does not provide for automatic tickets, and the party cannot wishfully promise automatic ticket to anyone. The Electoral Act also does not provide for automatic ticket.

“It says all primaries must be either by consensus or by direct primaries.”

He added that performance, not incumbency, would be the deciding factor for those seeking re-election.

The APC’s revised 2027 primary timetable, announced by the party’s Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Duro Meseko, at the 186th National Working Committee meeting on Thursday, now pegs Senate primaries for May 18, 2026.

House of Representatives primaries are scheduled for May 15, with the presidential primary on May 23.

Meseko also disclosed that the screening of aspirants, initially scheduled for May 6 to May 8, including the presidential screening set for May 9, has now been rescheduled.

Announcing the adjustment to the APC 2027 schedule of activities, the Deputy National Publicity Secretary stated, “We now have a new revised timetable in accordance with the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, as amended, the Electoral Act 2026, and the Independent National Electoral Commission revised timetable and schedule of activities for the 2027 general elections.

“We hereby present the new revised timetable and schedule of activities for the conduct of the 2027 general elections to the press.

“Notice had already been given to state chapters on Monday, April 20. Sales of forms will commence this Saturday, April 25, to Saturday, May 2, 2026. The last day for submission of completed forms and accompanying documents is now Monday, May 4, 2026.

“Screening of aspirants- House of Assembly, House of Representatives, Senate, Governorship, and Presidential will hold as follows: Wednesday, May 6, to Friday, May 8, 2026, for House of Assembly, House of Representatives, Senate, and Governorship screening respectively. Saturday, May 9, 2026, is the screening for Presidential aspirants.

“Publication of screening results for State House of Assembly, House of Representatives, Senate, Governorship, and Presidential will hold on Monday, May 11, 2026.

Screening appeals will be handled by the appeal committees from Tuesday, May 12, to Wednesday, May 13, 2026, for State House of Assembly, House of Representatives, Senate, Governorship, and Presidential.

“Primary elections of the All Progressives Congress commence as follows: Friday, May 15, 2026: House of Representatives primary elections.

“Monday, May 18, 2026: Senate primary elections. Wednesday, May 20, 2026: State House of Assembly primary elections. Thursday, May 21, 2026: Governorship primary elections. Saturday, May 23, 2026: Presidential primary elections.”

Meseko announced that the post-primary appeal committees will sit on Monday, May 18, 2026 for the House of Representatives; Wednesday, May 20, 2026 for the Senate; Thursday, May 21, 2026 for the State House of Assembly; Saturday, May 23, 2026 for the governorship; and Monday, May 25, 2026 for the presidential.

He explained that the party has adopted the two modes of primary elections provided in the 2026 Electoral Act, direct primary and consensus for selecting candidates for elective positions.

The Independent National Electoral Commission has fixed the Presidential and National Assembly elections for January 16, 2027.

The Governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections will hold on Saturday, February 6, 2027.

The Commission also stated that party primaries, including the resolution of disputes arising from them, are scheduled to hold between April 23, 2026 and May 30, 2026.

According to INEC, campaigns for the Presidential and National Assembly elections will commence on August 19, 2026, while campaigns for the Governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections will begin on September 9, 2026.

Tinubu’s position may jinx the re-election bid of several lawmakers in several states.

Among them is Senator Gbenga Daniel of Ogun East, who is facing a concerted effort by Governor Dapo Abiodun to reclaim the senate seat for himself.

Daniel was reportedly shut out of a stakeholders’ meeting of the Ogun East senatorial district, a gathering that Governor Abiodun presided over.

Abiodun himself, who cannot seek a third term as governor, has been picked as the preferred senatorial candidate in Ogun East, with the Senate Committee on Appropriations chairman, Senator Adeola Olamilekan, positioned as the governorship candidate.

In Nasarawa State, Senator Aliyu Wadada, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Public Accounts, has secured a consensus endorsement for the governorship, which would see him exit the Senate.

In Oyo, Senator Sharafadeen Alli received the APC’s backing on April 15 to succeed Governor Makinde.

These departures, alongside the growing list of senators whose governors are actively working against their return, may see a high turnover rate in the red chamber.

A North-East senator who spoke to one of our correspondents on condition of anonymity warned that the APC is walking a constitutional tightrope.

The lawmaker said, “There is no provision for an automatic ticket in the APC Constitution. The Electoral Act recognises the consensus and direct primaries option.”

“Whatever they discuss in their meeting cannot upstage the law. We should either go by consensus or adopt the primary election model,” the senator added, noting that he was not privy to what was decided at the Senate leadership’s meeting with the President.

In Benue state, the fallout between Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, and Governor Hyacinth Alia over control of the APC structure in the state has pushed 10 of the state’s 11 federal lawmakers into Akume’s camp.

However, Tinubu on Thursday at the meeting, which Alia attended, gave governors the green light to determine the direction of the states primaries.

In late March, Deputy Spokesman of the House of Representatives Philip Agbese defected from the APC to the Labour Party, after his return prospects under the APC collapsed.

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Politics

I am open to reconciling with Kano gov – Kwankwaso

Published

4 hours ago

June 9, 2026

Newsbreak365_Admin

Former Kano State Governor and national leader of the Kwankwasiyya movement, Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso, says he remains willing to forgive Governor Abba Yusuf and reconcile with him despite their political differences, insisting that his affection for his former protégé has not diminished.

Relationship between the two politicians soured after Yusuf defected from the New Nigeria People’s Party, under which he won the 2023 governorship election, to the ruling All Progressives Congress, a move that drew sharp criticism from members of the Kwankwasiyya movement.

Speaking in an interview in a video posted by BBC Hausa on Monday, Kwankwaso, who has also defected from NNPP to the Nigeria Democratic Congress, said the door to reconciliation remains open.

He stressed that Yusuf was the one who chose to leave their political fold and that he would not turn him away if he decided to return.

“I still love Abba and I didn’t reject him, he is the one that left. So not just Abba, if anyone who left comes back, I won’t be unforgiving. Look at Ganduje, in the many years we worked together, we fell out several times and got back together. That is how politics works,” he said.

Kwankwaso argued that Yusuf’s electoral victory was made possible by the strength of the movement.

“We picked Abba to contest under the NNPP and we won, but he left to join the people we defeated. Some say he did so because he feared losing his position, but he knows there was no way we would have been defeated in Kano. If that were the case, we would have lost when he contested under our party,” he stated.

The former governor further explained that the movement intentionally fielded Yusuf in 2023 to demonstrate its political influence.

“We did not choose him because he was the most senior or the most educated. We chose him because we wanted to test the strength and calibre of the Kwankwasiyya movement at that time,” he said.

Emphasising the importance of tolerance in leadership, Kwankwaso said leaders must accept differing opinions and embrace forgiveness.

“As a leader, you need to have an open heart. You cannot force people to think the way you do because we all come from different backgrounds and have different perspectives. Without forgiveness, we would not have come this far,” he added.

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Politics

Peter Obi slams Tinubu over rising debt, says N200tn borrowed without accountability

Published

5 hours ago

June 9, 2026

Newsbreak365_Admin

The 2027 presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, Peter Obi, has criticised President Bola Tinubu’s administration over what he described as excessive borrowing and poor fiscal accountability.

Obi said Nigeria’s total public debt has risen to about N200 trillion, which he attributed to what he called “imprudent governance” under the current administration.

He said the debt level represents an increase of over N100 trillion in three years, contrasting it with the approximately N49 trillion accumulated during the eight-year administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari.

The former Labour Party presidential flagbearer in the 2023 election stated this in a statement posted on his X handle on Tuesday, saying the situation reflected a lack of accountability and transparency in the management of borrowed funds.

“President Bola Tinubu’s administration has engaged in remarkably imprudent borrowing, escalating Nigeria’s total debt to approximately N200 trillion. This represents an increase of over N100 trillion within a mere three years, a stark contrast to the roughly N49 trillion accumulated during President Muhammadu Buhari’s eight-year tenure, which would have projected to around N80 trillion.

“As millions of Nigerians grapple with the shock of this unsustainable debt accumulation, the situation is exacerbated by the government’s reckless approach to borrowing and a profound absence of accountability and transparency in the utilisation of these funds,” he said.

Citing figures from the Budget Office, Obi said the government borrowed N11.89 trillion in the first three quarters of 2025 (January to September), exceeding its planned borrowing target of N10.34 trillion by about N1.54 trillion.

He said such an overrun should ordinarily attract scrutiny and explanation from relevant authorities.

“Under a responsible and accountable government, such an overshoot would necessitate rigorous scrutiny and explanation from relevant governmental bodies. Regrettably, this is not the reality under the current administration,” he said.

Obi further claimed that only N3.10 trillion of the borrowed funds was allocated to capital expenditure during the January–September 2025 period, representing 17.66 per cent of the N17.58 trillion earmarked for capital projects, leaving a funding gap of about N14.48 trillion.

He questioned how the remaining funds were utilised.

“The most disturbing aspect of the financial management fiasco under Bola Tinubu is that there is no explanation or information regarding how the balance was utilised or deployed.

“The question that Nigerians are rightly asking and deserve an answer to is what happened to the balance? Was it deployed for recurrent expenditure/consumption, for the entertainment of guests to Aso Rock or transferred to the Renewed Hope Agenda 2027 Election Campaign Fund?

“Nigerians deserve an answer on how our economy and resources are most unpatriotically managed,” he said.

Nigeria has faced mounting debt pressures since the Tinubu administration’s major reforms began in mid-2023, including the removal of long-standing fuel subsidies and unification of the foreign exchange market.

These moves aimed to correct fiscal distortions but triggered immediate inflation spikes, naira volatility, and higher living costs, while increasing the local-currency burden of debt servicing.

Tinubu had disclosed in May 2026 that Nigeria plans to spend about $11.6 billion on debt servicing in 2026.

While supporters of the government argue that borrowings support critical infrastructure, critics warn of a debt without growth trap.

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Politics

ADC alleges PVC mop-up, fake Amotekun plot

Published

15 hours ago

June 9, 2026

Newsbreak365_Admin

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) governorship candidate in Ekiti State, Dare Bejide, on Monday, alleged mop-up of Permanent Voter Cards in parts of the state by some agents who he said were illegally collecting the document.

The Director, Communications, Media and Publicity, Amb Dare Bejide Campaign Organisation, Chief Gboyega Aribisogan, said the perpetrators, who he identified as All Progressives Congress agents, wanted to use the cards for sinister purposes, as he appealed to residents not to succumb to such.

Aribisogan also alleged at a press briefing in Ado Ekiti that some political thugs were being kitted in fake Amotekun Security Network uniforms, adding that “the individuals are being trained and mobilised to intimidate voters, snatch ballot boxes and attack polling agents on election day.”

The ADC campaign spokesperson, who said the impersonation of Amotekun operatives was a deliberate plot to confuse voters and discredit a regional security outfit that Ekiti people trusted.

He called on the Ekiti Amotekun Corps Commander, Brig Gen Olu Adewa (retd) and the police “to immediately identify and arrest anyone found wearing an Amotekun uniform without authorisation.”

Aribisogan said, “Across several local government areas in Ekiti, our party has documented a pattern where agents and foot soldiers of the APC are moving from house to house and polling units demanding the collection of PVCs and National Identification Numbers from voters.

“They promised cash, food items, or welfare support in exchange. This is a direct violation of Section 121 of the Electoral Act 2022, which prohibits voter inducement and the seizure of voter cards.

“The aim is clear – disenfranchise citizens, harvest PVCs, and use them for thumb-printing and multiple voting on election day. No citizen should surrender their PVC or NIN to any political party agent. Your PVC is your power. Once you give it up, you give up your voice.”

He called on the Independent National Electoral Commission to issue a public warning against PVC and NIN harvesting and to deploy its monitoring teams to flashpoints immediately.

“We use this medium to tell Ekiti people not to be intimidated. Do not surrender your PVC or NIN. Do not be cowed by thugs in borrowed uniforms. Your vote is your right, and it is your power. Come out on election day, vote and protect your vote,” Aribisogan stated.

But the APC state Publicity Secretary, Segun Dipe, who spoke in a telephone interview, said the ADC members had only displayed their ignorance once again with their allegations.

Dipe, who said advanced technology had made use of another person’s PVC impossible, queried what APC would want to do with anybody’s voter card.

“The ADC have run out of what to say, and they are only displaying their ignorance. Nobody is mopping up PVCs.

“We will pardon their ignorance if they think that you can collect anybody’s PVC. Why can’t they collect another person’s PVC and see how useful or useless it is? So we are pardoning their ignorance,” he said.

The APC spokesperson, who also dismissed the allegation of kitting thugs in Amotekun outfits, said, “Amotekun is the project of the APC government. It is not the project of any other person. So why would we get fake Amotekun when we can recruit as many people into Amotekun?

“The duty of Amotekun is different. Amotekun is to ensure that people are not kidnapped; they go into the bushes. Are we kitting fake people to go into the bushes? So again, we pardon their ignorance for not knowing the roles and functions of Amotekun.”

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