- Party moves to uphold internal democracy
President Bola Tinubu has tasked his Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, and Special Adviser on Political Matters, Ibrahim Masari, with overseeing the All Progressives Congress (APC) primary elections for Senate and House of Representatives seats in preparation for the 2027 general elections.
This decision follows a series of high-level discussions with Senators and House of Representatives members, emphasising the importance of upholding internal party democracy.
Under this new arrangement, the supervisory team, comprising Gbajabiamila and Masari, will engage with APC state governors, the party’s National Working Committee (NWC), the President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives to fulfil their presidential mandate.
The team is expected to work closely with governors and party leaders to ensure that the primaries are conducted peacefully, transparently, and credibly across the nation. They will also provide the President with regular updates on the proceedings.
It is important to note that this supervisory role does not replace the statutory function of the APC National Secretariat, which will continue to organise and conduct the primaries in accordance with the amended Electoral Act and the party’s guidelines.
The supervisory team will concentrate on political coordination, monitoring adherence to due process, and assisting with conflict management, while the NWC retains formal responsibility for issuing notices, screening aspirants, deploying primary panels, and collating results.
Reports indicate that several prominent politicians are pressuring the President to broaden the supervisory structure to include more interests. However, Tinubu has thus far resisted these demands, cautious of establishing a platform that could undermine or compromise the party’s lawful role in conducting a free, fair, and credible primary election process.
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