First-term APC governors and defectors have reportedly struck a deal at a closed-door Kebbi meeting to fully mobilise for President Tinubu’s 2027 re-election in exchange for automatic tickets, a move critics have condemned as elite state capture.
Facts have emerged about how first-term governors elected on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and defectors have entered a formal arrangement to mobilize fully for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election in 2027, in return for what they described as the President’s fulfillment of a pledge to grant them automatic tickets.
According to New Telegraph, the agreement was reached at a closed-door meeting of the governors held in Birnin Kebbi, Kebbi State, three weeks ago, a senior APC chieftain familiar with the discussions told this newspaper, saying the meeting was convened to “consolidate the promises the President made to them some five months ago.”
The governors reportedly met with Tinubu in Abuja around February, where they were assured of the same privilege as the President in the next election cycle. “Some months ago, we met with Mr. President and he assured us, ‘since I am seeking a second term, I would also get an automatic ticket, and all of you too should get an automatic ticket. That is what has happened,” the source said.
Key governors present at the Kebbi meeting reportedly include those of Ekiti, Zamfara, Akwa Ibom and Delta. As of July 2026, the APC controls 20 states, with 16 governors serving their first term and eligible for re-election in 2027.
Though the Electoral Act 2022 mandates parties conduct primaries, “consensus” or “affirmation” is often used in practice for popular incumbents.
A senior APC chieftain in the North-Central defended the arrangement, saying, “This is politics. Every president in a second-term bid ensures his governors are secure so they can focus on delivering.”
However, the National Publicity Secretary of the PDP criticised the deal, saying, “What we are seeing is the commercialization of democracy… Nigerians will reject this imposition.”
Political Science lecturer, Dr. Sunday Orinya, also condemned the arrangement as “elite state capture,” while another political scientist argued it was strategic for securing party structures ahead of the polls.
The APC National Secretariat had yet to react to the Kebbi meeting as of press time.
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