APC Governorship Primaries: 25 Candidates Emerge as Kwara, Bauchi Face Delays
By: Abudu Olalekan
Politics is messy. Sometimes it’s organized chaos, other times it’s just chaos. Thursday’s APC governorship primaries were a bit of both. While 25 states successfully picked their candidates, things got complicated in Kwara and Bauchi. Consensus couldn’t be reached. Tensions rose. So the National Working Committee hit pause.
Simple as that. Or maybe not.
Nasarawa had issues too. Electoral materials arrived late. Voters went home frustrated. They’re expected back today to finish up. Meanwhile, the party is already looking ahead to 2026. Pius Anyim now chairs the presidential primary committee. Aminu Masari leads the appeal panel. Big names for big tasks.
But let’s talk about Thursday. Incumbents mostly coasted to victory. Ogun, Kebbi, Katsina, Kaduna, Delta, Enugu, Rivers… smooth sailing. Lagos too. Obafemi Hamzat won with a staggering 657,917 votes. His rival got one. Just one vote. That’s not really a contest, is it? Gombe threw a curveball though. Jamilu Gwamna beat two former ministers, Pantami and Alkali. They’d boycotted, alleging irregularities. Didn’t matter. Gwamna won by a landslide.
Then there’s the delays. Felix Morka, APC’s publicity secretary, said Kwara and Bauchi are rescheduled for today. Zamfara’s assembly primaries moved to Sunday. Official reason? Ensuring a “transparent, orderly, peaceful” process. Stakeholder consultations and all that.
People aren’t buying it. Not entirely.
In Kwara, the delay sparked intense backstage maneuvering. Governor AbdulRazaq’s preferred successor, Amb Yahaya Seriki, suddenly got massive backing. Eight aspirants stepped aside overnight. Prof. Wale Sulaiman, Dr. Mohammed Bio, Senator Oloriegbe… all withdrew. Party unity, they said. Continuity. But at Adewole Ward, supporters chanted “Sai Yahaya” before officials even showed up. Confusion reigned. Some visually impaired members waited hours. At Ganmo/Idofian, members allegedly improvised their own voting when officials didn’t arrive. Ward officials denied it. Said materials were still coming. The state chairman confirmed the postponement but offered few details. Suspicion lingers.
Bauchi was worse. Nura Soro’s supporters protested. Stormed the hotel where electoral officials stayed. Accusations of manipulation flew. Dr. Auwal Jada demanded transparency. No secret collation. Musa Buba asked the obvious question: why only Bauchi and Kwara? Foul play, he suspected. They want fairness. Ballots, not backroom deals. Like Tinubu did.
Rivers State had its own drama. Governor Fubara withdrew Wednesday night. Cited peace and unity. Supporters felt betrayed. Abandoned. Saviour Imeabe called it disappointing. Said leadership isn’t about personal comfort. Solomon Lenu called it a “painful tsunami.” Blamed deception from above. Despite the outrage, Kingsley Chinda emerged winner with 268,497 votes. Collation proceeded. Life goes on.
Elsewhere, things were calmer. Delta’s Oborevwori won peacefully. 345,375 votes. Praised the maturity of Delta politics. Enugu’s Peter Mbah clinched the ticket amid massive turnout. Called “The Rock” by supporters. Oyo’s Sharafadeen Alli expressed confidence, urged unity. Ogun’s Yayi defended his consensus candidacy. Said it wasn’t forced. Kebbi and Katsina affirmed their governors unanimously. Kaduna’s Uba Sani got over 459,000 affirmation votes. Adamawa and Abia saw strategic withdrawals for party unity. Equity. Zoning. Standard political calculus.
Looking ahead, the presidential primary is May 23. Tinubu versus Stanley Osifo. Direct primaries nationwide. Results collated at local government level, then state, then Abuja. Governors will serve as coordinators. Existing guidelines apply. The machinery is set.
But for now, Kwara and Bauchi wait. Today is the new day. Will it bring clarity or more confusion? Party insiders hope for resolution. Supporters demand fairness. The clock is ticking. Politics waits for no one. Even when it stalls.
