Today, no fewer than 2,620 aspirants, including President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, governors, senators and members of the House of Representatives, are expected to know whether they have been cleared to contest the 2027 elections on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Other people waiting for the outcome include Osifo Stanley, Tinubu’s lone challenger for the presidential ticket, as well as several serving and former political office holders.
The APC is expected to publish the names of cleared aspirants today as part of preparations to meet the timetable of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
It was gathered that the ruling party screened about 2,980 aspirants for various elective positions, including one presidential slot, 28 governorships, 109 Senate seats, 360 House of Representatives seats and 991 state assembly positions.
The APC screening exercise reportedly took place between May 8 and May 12.
Sources revealed that the screening panel granted President Tinubu a waiver.
Among those screened were serving governors, former governors, lawmakers, ministers and technocrats who bought and submitted nomination forms.
Among prominent faces whose fate will be decided by today’s publication is Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma, who is aspiring for a senatorial seat.
Uzodimma is governor of Imo State, chairman of the Progressive Governors’ Forum and chairman of the Renewed Hope Ambassadors leading Tinubu’s re-election campaign.
The APC hierarchy was under pressure to prevail on him to jettison the senatorial ambition to avoid a constitutional and political crisis, sources within the party told Vanguard.
Party sources said the fear is that Uzodimma can serve as both governor and senator-elect at the same time as his tenure as governor will not end until January 2028.
Today, the fate of Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, who is in a political battle with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, will be decided.
It was gathered that Wike had on Tuesday met with the National Chairman of the APC, Nentawe Yiltwatda.
Former governor and serving Ogun East Senator, Gbenga Daniel, is locked in a political battle with Governor Dapo Abiodun over the senatorial seat in Ogun State.
In the same vein, Governor of Gombe State, Muhammad Inuwa Yahaya, is jostling with his predecessor, Senator Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo, for a Senate ticket.
Among those screened is the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu who is contesting the APC governorship ticket in Abia State.
Kalu was recently petitioned over claims that he attended the Nigerian Law School while also taking part in the National Youth Service Corps scheme.
The development comes as tension is rising within the APC, as many aspirants continue to insist on direct primaries instead of consensus arrangements.
Some aspirants reportedly threatened to resist any candidate imposition.
Reacting to the rising tension, APC National Chairman warned aspirants against violence and anti-party activities .
Yiltwatda in a statement issued through his Special Adviser on Media and Information Strategy, Abimbola Tooki, said the party would not tolerate any action that could disrupt the primary elections.
“The party leadership will not tolerate any act capable of disrupting the smooth conduct of the primaries,” he said.
He warned that aspirants or supporters found sponsoring violence, unrest or anti-party activities would be subjected to discipline including suspension from the party.
