Intense campaigning, high stakes as APC nomination process gets underway

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Fresh tensions have erupted across several states as the ruling All Progressives Congress commences its primaries on Friday (today) ahead of the 2027 general elections, forcing party leaders and key stakeholders loyal to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to intensify consultations to prevent a full-blown internal crisis.

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The growing unrest, which has triggered protests, collapsed consensus negotiations, and led to accusations of candidate imposition and reconciliation efforts across multiple states, comes as the APC leadership races to preserve party cohesion before the primaries gather momentum nationwide.

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Concerned by the situation, President Tinubu has appealed to members, aspirants and party leaders to conduct themselves as sportsmen and women.

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He warned that rancorous behaviour would only serve the opposition, and cautioned winners against gloating, while urging losers to accept defeat with grace.

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In a personal statement he released on Thursday, the eve of the commencement of House of Representatives primaries, Tinubu said the exercises were not merely platforms to produce standard bearers but a referendum on the APC’s unity, resilience and strength as a party entering its fourth election cycle.

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He said, “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 and preparing for another time.

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“The ultimate winners are those who don’t choose to wreck the boat but rather work to prepare for another round. Our opponents are waiting for us to be against each other; we should disappoint them.”

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The President made a pointed reference to a mode of political engagement he said the party had left behind, invoking it precisely to warn against its return.

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“We should not play the politics of old, the do-or-die politics that we have put behind us. Politics should never be a zero-sum game. Any candidate that wins does so for all of us as a party,” he stated.

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The President said wherever consensus had already been reached among aspirants, it should be maximised to reduce friction.

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“I am aware that, in line with the provisions of the Electoral Act 2026 and our party’s constitution, leaders at various levels have initiated conversations to produce consensus candidates.

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“It is a commendable option that would help in reducing rancour and bad blood among party members,” said Tinubu.

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But where consensus fails, he said, members must conduct themselves with discipline.

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“I urge us all to go into the primaries as brothers and sisters,” the President appealed.

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Tinubu directed party governors and leaders to ensure a level playing field and rise above personal sentiment.

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He said, “You must rise above sentiment to offer all aspirants a level playing field that guarantees participation without let or hindrance.

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“While only one person will win for every seat contested, we should give eventual losers the satisfaction of a fair contest.”

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He also directed that winners and party leaders at all levels reach out to those who did not succeed with olive branches, and urged aspirants who felt aggrieved to approach the party’s redress committees rather than destabilise the process.

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The President called for the inclusion of women and youth, saying, “I appeal to voters in the primaries and leaders at all levels to give special consideration to our women and youth in the contest. We cannot afford to relegate the two significant demographics of our population.”

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He also issued a firm directive to security agencies deployed for the primaries, urging them to limit their role strictly to maintaining peace.

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According to him, “The police and other security agencies must remain professional and avoid acting as interlopers during this exercise. Your duties strictly centre on ensuring peaceful exercise. Nothing more.”

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The APC primaries, kicking off with House of Representatives aspirants, are scheduled to run through to the presidential primary on May 25, 2026.

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

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Consensus talks collapse

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Investigations by The PUNCH revealed that while some APC-controlled states successfully adopted consensus arrangements for the primaries, others descended into intense disputes as aspirants resisted pressure to step down for preferred candidates.

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The crisis has become particularly pronounced in states such as Taraba, Kano, Kaduna, Oyo, Yobe and Abia, where disagreements over direct primaries, endorsements and alleged automatic tickets have sharply divided party stakeholders.

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In Abia State, the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, moved to calm rising tension by dismissing speculations that certain aspirants had already been handed automatic tickets ahead of the primaries.

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Speaking during a pre-primary stakeholders’ meeting of the APC in Umuahia on Thursday, Kalu insisted that the party would not impose candidates on members.

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According to him, every aspirant seeking elective office under the APC platform must emerge through a transparent and democratic process.

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“We are not going to impose any candidate. We want to ensure that after the primaries, the party is not going to disintegrate. We have worked hard and it is now time to harvest,” Kalu declared.

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He added, “There is no automatic ticket and no list by anybody. The party has given us only two democratic options — consensus or direct primaries.”

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The deputy speaker stressed that the wishes of party members would ultimately determine who emerges as candidates for the 2027 elections.

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Also speaking at the meeting, former Abia State governor and senator representing Abia North, Orji Uzor Kalu, said President Tinubu had specifically mandated party leaders in the state to remain united ahead of the elections.

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“The President told me clearly that the only gift Abia APC can give him is to deliver the state,” Orji Kalu said.

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He added, “The President also told me not to quarrel with my younger brother. I have no problems with Ben Kalu anymore. The quarrel is gone. Abia APC is now united.”

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The APC disclosed during the meeting that three governorship aspirants, nine senatorial aspirants, 24 House of Representatives aspirants and 64 House of Assembly aspirants purchased nomination forms in the state.

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According to the state Organising Secretary, Emeka Okoroafor, only one House of Representatives aspirant was disqualified for not being a registered party member.

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Meanwhile, consensus negotiations for House of Representatives tickets remained deadlocked in Kano State as party leaders struggled to avert divisive contests across the 24 federal constituencies.

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Speaking with The PUNCH on Thursday, the Kano APC Publicity Secretary, Auwal Soja, confirmed that consultations were still ongoing late into the evening.

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“Consensus among the aspirants of the APC for the 24 federal constituency seats is still ongoing, which will hopefully be concluded by 10 pm today,” he said.

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He, however, admitted that direct primaries would hold wherever consensus arrangements fail.

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“As you know, the APC Constitution provides only for direct primaries and consensus as legitimate pathways for selecting candidates,” Soja added.

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The Electoral Act 2026 permits political parties to adopt either direct primaries, where all registered party members vote, or consensus arrangements backed by written consent from cleared aspirants.

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Despite the reconciliation efforts, indications emerged that consensus talks in Kano may face resistance in some constituencies, especially Kumbotso Federal Constituency, where supporters of rival aspirants have openly demanded competitive primaries.

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In Taraba State, the party’s consensus initiative suffered a major setback after several aspirants refused to withdraw from contests across strategic constituencies.

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The collapse of the arrangement forced the APC to prepare for direct primaries in multiple National Assembly and state assembly constituencies ahead of today’s exercise.

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In a statement issued by the APC State Publicity Secretary, Aaron Artimas, the party disclosed that the State Chairman, Alhaji Abubakar Bawa, had reconstituted another committee to continue negotiations with aggrieved aspirants.

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According to the statement, “The committees achieved a tremendous amount of success, as many aspirants have already agreed to step down in the interest of party unity.”

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The statement added that the fresh committee would continue engaging aspirants “who may still be holding out for one reason or another.”

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However, reports submitted by zonal committees showed that consensus collapsed in constituencies such as Takum, Donga, Ussa, Kurmi, Nguroje and Wukari, where aspirants insisted on testing their popularity through direct primaries.

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Former lawmaker, Tukur El-Sudi, who chaired one of the reconciliation committees, disclosed that many aspirants rejected appeals to step down for incumbents.

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“All aspirants in Nguroje declined to withdraw for the incumbent lawmaker because they insisted the process must remain competitive,” he said.

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Similarly, Dr Philip Duwe, who chaired the Southern Zone Consensus Committee, revealed that many aspirants initially feared that the consensus arrangement was merely a strategy to impose candidates.

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According to him, “Several aspirants believed the process was designed to favour certain individuals, but the consultations later became useful platforms for dialogue and reconciliation.”

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He further disclosed that huge financial investments made by aspirants for mobilisation and consultations also contributed to the breakdown of consensus talks.

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The APC state chairman, Bawa, however, defended the process, insisting that disagreements should not be viewed as failure.

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“The inability to achieve consensus everywhere is not a failure. It simply reflects internal democracy because aspirants are expressing themselves freely,” he stated.

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In Yobe State, the APC is equally preparing for the House of Representatives primaries following the failure of party stakeholders to settle disagreements through consensus.

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A senior party source disclosed that Governor Mai Mala Buni had returned to the state to personally supervise reconciliation meetings aimed at salvaging consensus talks before the primaries.

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“The governor has arrived in the state and is expected to meet with party stakeholders to decide whether consensus can still be achieved or whether the primaries will proceed,” the source said.

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The source added, “The party is fully prepared for the primaries on Friday, but consultations are still ongoing.”

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The development followed earlier intervention by Vice-President Kashim Shettima in the Yobe governorship succession battle after intense disagreements among aspirants over alleged endorsement moves.

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One of the governorship aspirants, Senator Ibrahim Bomai, had openly condemned attempts to impose candidates.

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“No individual, regardless of influence or past office, has the moral authority to determine the leadership of millions behind closed doors,” Bomai had declared.

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“Yobe State is not a private estate. Leadership must emerge through the free and transparent choice of the people.”

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In Kaduna State, the government confirmed that Governor Uba Sani had constituted a high-powered reconciliation committee to address grievances arising from the primaries.

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The Kaduna State Commissioner for Information and Culture, Ahmed Maiyaki, said the committee was established to prevent internal divisions and sustain party unity.

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“The initiative is designed to deepen mediation and constructive engagement among aspirants across the state while fostering political stability and consensus-building within the party,” Maiyaki said.

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According to him, the committee would engage aggrieved aspirants and stakeholders in constituencies where competing political interests had generated tension.

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Political observers believe the intervention may be linked to rising complaints from aspirants who felt sidelined during recent party activities.

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In Kwara State, uncertainty persisted over whether the APC would eventually adopt direct primaries or consensus arrangements.

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Speaking with The PUNCH, the state APC chairman, Sunday Fagbemi, said the state chapter was awaiting directives from the party’s national leadership.

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“I am not in a position to say whether the party will adopt consensus or direct primaries. We are still waiting for directives from Abuja,” he stated.

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The uncertainty comes amid fierce political calculations in the state where about 16 governorship aspirants are reportedly seeking the APC ticket.

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However, the Amalgamated APC Elders and Stakeholders Forum in the state declared support for any consensus arrangement approved by President Tinubu and Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq.

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“With the Otoge Revolution of 2019, Kwara State was liberated from godfatherism and underdevelopment. We cannot afford to go backwards,” the forum declared.

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Tension also boiled over in Oyo State as angry APC members staged a protest at the party secretariat in Ibadan over alleged attempts to impose candidates.

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The protesters accused party leaders of allowing money and influence to determine the selection process.

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They warned that repeating the mistakes of the 2023 elections could further weaken the APC in the state.

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Confirming the incident, the state APC Publicity Secretary, Olawale Sadare, alleged that hoodlums invaded the secretariat and attacked party officials.

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“The hoodlums reportedly unleashed terror on members of the state executive committee and damaged vehicles, windows, tyres and office property,” Sadare said.

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He added, “It was clearly a sponsored attack by disgruntled elements, but we are grateful no life was lost.”

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Attempts by Edo State Governor, Monday Okpebholo, to ensure the emergence of consensus candidates ahead of today’s House of Representatives party primaries have hit a roadblock.

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Sources said the governor asked those who refused to accept his preferred candidates to go to the field.

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In Oredo federal constituency, the preferred aspirant is Dr Paddy Iyamu, but his opponent, Osaro Obazee, has refused to step down.

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Omosede Igbinedion is the only aspirant for Ovia Federal Constituency, and she has been reportedly tipped to emerge as the candidate.

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In Uhunmwode/Orhionmwon constituency, incumbent Billy Osawaru was picked ahead of his opponent, Washington Osifo, while the leaders of the APC in Ikpoba-Okha/Egor federal constituency opted for Igbinovia Osaze.

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In Edo Central, the battle for Esan West/Igueben/Esan Central is between Joseph Eseigbe, who was picked as the preferred candidate over a former Speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly, Marcus Onobun. Onobun, according to APC sources, refused to step down.

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Odianosen Okojie, husband of Nollywood actress Mercy Johnson, has been endorsed for a second term ticket for Esan North East/Esan South East.

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But no consensus arrangement was reached for the House of Representatives seats in Edo North. For the Owan Federal Constituency, Julius Ihonvbere is up against Abdul Oroh and Andrew Ijegbai.

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Ihonvbere hails from Owan West Local Government, while other aspirants hail from the Owan East LGA. Ihonvbere was accused of breaching an agreement that each local government should spend two terms.

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A former Chairman of the Edo Internal Revenue Services, Otunba Bamidele Bankole-Balogun, the preferred candidate for Akoko-Edo Federal Constituency, has been endorsed by APC leaders.

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Sources said incumbent lawmaker representing Estako Federal Constituency, Sunday Dekeri, failed to get the endorsement of party leaders for another term in office and was replaced by Blessing Agbomhere.

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In contrast, Sokoto and Borno States appeared to have recorded smoother consensus arrangements.

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In Sokoto, party leaders confirmed that affirmation exercises for consensus candidates would begin across federal constituencies.

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“We have agreed on consensus for all elective positions in Sokoto and preparations for affirmation have been concluded,” a party chieftain disclosed.

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Similarly, in Borno State, the APC officially adopted former Commissioner for Works, Mustapha Gubio, as consensus governorship candidate after consultations led by Governor Babagana Zulum.

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The decision followed the withdrawal of Senator Kakashehu Lawan from the race in the interest of party unity.

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Party stakeholders in the state have largely endorsed the arrangement, with no major opposition recorded so far.

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Governor Zulum also called on aspirants vying for seats in the state and federal level to support a consensus decision, announcing that any aspirant who voluntarily withdrew would be considered for appointments.

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The governor’s spokesman, Dauda Illiya, in a statement on Thursday, said Zulum stated this during a critical stakeholders’ meeting at the Multipurpose Hall of the Government House in Maiduguri, the state capital.

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Illiya stated, “Governor Zulum also announced that aspirants who voluntarily withdrew from contests would be considered for appointments and other opportunities at both the federal and state levels.”

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The governor further emphasised his commitment to democratic principles, assuring stakeholders that no candidate would be imposed on any constituency.

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“As a democrat, I will not force any candidate on a particular constituency, but rather encourage us to continue consultations with stakeholders for consensus candidates to emerge,” Zulum stated.

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To facilitate consultations across the state, Illiya said the governor constituted zonal consultative committees headed by the Deputy Governor, Umar Usman Kadafur for the Southern Zone; APC Deputy National Chairman (North), Ali Bukar Dalori, for the Central Zone; and Senator Mohammed Tahir Monguno for the Northern Zone.

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According to him, the governor formally presented the APC consensus governorship candidate, Mustapha Gubio, to stakeholders, fulfilling the promise he made during the high-level stakeholders’ meeting held on 25 April.

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“APC Deputy National Chairman, Ali Bukar Dalori, and state chairman of the party, Bello Ayuba, all re-echoed the need for consensus as the means of primary election in the stated,” he said.

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The meeting was attended by prominent personalities, including Deputy Governor Umar Usman Kadafur, Gubio, APC Deputy National Chairman (North), Ali Bukar Dalori, former Governor, Senator Maina Ma’aji Lawan; Senators Mohammed Tahir Monguno, Mohammed Ali Ndume, and Kaka Shehu Lawan SAN, serving and former members of the House of Representatives, APC state chairman, former Nigerian Ambassador to China, Amb. Baba Ahmed Jidda, Speaker, Borno State House of Assembly, and other members of the House.

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Gbajabiamila, Elliot issue
nOn Thursday, a video went viral online, where the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, narrated how the role played by the lawmaker representing Surulere 1 constituency, Desmond Elliot, in the botched impeachment saga of Mudasiru Obasa as state House of Assembly speaker, almost cost him his job.n

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Gbajabiamila made the revelation while reacting to Elliot’s reported insistence on returning to the Lagos Assembly for a fourth term.

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Speaking at a meeting ahead of the party’s primaries in Lagos, Gbajabiamila said, “I almost lost my job as Chief of Staff last year because of Desmond Elliot. Mr President called me to his house in Abuja during the Lagos Speaker Obasa saga. He said, ‘I hear this Desmond is your boy, the one we gave you,’ and I said, ‘Yes, sir.’ He is one of the people causing problems in the Lagos House of Assembly.”

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The former Speaker of the House of Representatives said he immediately defended Elliot, insisting he was not involved in the alleged plot to destabilise the Assembly.
nHowever, he said the President maintained that intelligence reports implicated the lawmaker and directed him to warn Elliot to “retrace his steps.”n

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Gbajabiamila said he subsequently contacted Elliot and relayed the President’s warning, urging him to distance himself from the crisis if he was involved.
nHe further disclosed that days later, the Director-General of the Department of State Security Service allegedly informed him that his own name was being mentioned as one of those backing Elliot in the matter.n

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According to him, the situation became so serious that there were assumptions within political circles that Elliot could not have acted without his knowledge or support.

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“I called him again and told him to go and make a public statement that he was not part of it,” Gbajabiamila said.
nHe, however, said that up to date, Elliot had not made any public statement denouncing his role in the saga.n

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The former Speaker added that his longstanding relationship with Tinubu ultimately saved him from losing his office.
nGbajabiamila also accused Elliot of attempting to introduce religious division into Surulere politics, alleging that the lawmaker had written official complaints accusing him of creating tensions between Muslims and Christians in the constituency.n

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He maintained that throughout his political career, he had resisted attempts to divide constituents along religious lines.
nElliot’s seat in the Assembly is being contested by Barakat Odunuga-Bakare, who has the backing of Gbajabiamila and other stakeholders from Surulere constituency..n

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Additional reporting: Isah Ojo, Animasahun Salman, Ademola Adegbite, Toheeb Omotayo, Godwin Isenyo, Umar Sani, Justin Tyopuusu, Tukur Muntari and Ogbonnaya Ikokwu and Adeyinka Adedipe

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