Tinubu, APC Governors Convene to Ensure Smooth Party Primaries

President Bola Tinubu convened a private meeting with APC governors on Thursday evening to strategize on ensuring a peaceful and transparent party primaries, in anticipation of the All Progressives Congress primaries.

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The meeting took place at the presidential Villa in Abuja, with key attendees including Senator Hope Uzodimma, Chairman of the Progressive Governors’ Forum and Governor of Imo State, and AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, Chairman of Nigeria’s Governors Forum and Governor of Kwara State.

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Other governors in attendance were Inuwa Yahaya, Umar Bago of Niger, Babagana Zulum of Borno, Hyacinth Alia of Benue, Biodun Oyebanji of Ekiti, and Dr. Peter Mbah of Enugu state, along with representatives from some states who were present in the capacity of deputy governors.

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Following the meeting, NGF Chairman Governor AbdulRazaq addressed journalists, stating that the discussion centered on facilitating a smooth primary election process subsequent to the release of the party’s timetable.

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He explained that the meeting with President Tinubu focused on ensuring free and fair elections, minimizing conflict, and ultimately strengthening the party ahead of the election, saying “We met with Mr. President, the timetable for the primaries has been released, we’ve discussed the process moving forward, so that there’ll be free and fair elections, no rancour, and at the end of the process, the party should be one, stronger than ever, heading towards the election”.

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Niger State Governor Umar Bago also spoke with journalists, expressing the governors' gratitude to President Tinubu for his continued support and leadership within the party.

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According to Governor Bago, President Tinubu provided the governors with clear guidance on the conduct of the primaries, reaffirming their autonomy within the framework of the law, and granting them the authority to proceed with the primaries as per the Electoral Act, whether through consensus or direct primaries.

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He stated, “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 marching order to what to do, for him also to have given and ceded his executive power to the governors to go ahead and conduct primaries based on the Electoral Act, either consensus or direct primaries”.

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Governor Bago further noted that President Tinubu reiterated his support for the governors' decisions and gave them the go-ahead to proceed, saying “So he’s reiterated his support for our decision, and he has given us a go-ahead to proceed”.