Tinubu urges consensus, peace, inclusion as APC begins primaries

MaTaZ ArIsInG
Dallas, Texas

• APC ratifies Lagos, Rivers, 3 other states aspirants for Reps

From Romanus Ugwu and Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja

As the All Progressives Congress (APC) commences its primaries, President Bola Tinubu has cautioned against division and rancour while urging consensus, peace, women and youth inclusion.

In a State House statement he personally signed ahead of the exercise which begins today with the House of Representatives primaries and would close with the presidential primary on May 25, Tinubu tasked party leadership, governors, and others to ensure fairness and called on winners and leaders to extend “olive branches” to losers and reject “the do-or-die politics that we have put behind us.”

“Fellow party men and women, I am pleased to witness this historic moment in the annals of our party. The party we formed just like yesterday is gearing up for its fourth election cycle. It is a source of pride for me, and I believe for all our distinguished leaders and teeming members,” he said.

The President, who co-founded the APC on “the firm principles of progressive politics, consensus democracy and personal devotion and sacrifice,” stressed the need to build on past successes. “This principle of selflessness and devotion has seen us go through each election cycle and come out firmer together. We must consolidate on it as we go into the primaries tomorrow,” he added.

Tinubu commended ongoing efforts for consensus candidates under the Electoral Act (2026) and APC constitution, calling it “a commendable option that would help in reducing rancour and bad blood among party members.” He noted “the impressive progress made in this regard and encouraged fellow party members to make the most of this window to ensure a seamless process and a more unified party.”

Where consensus fails, he urged peaceful competition. “Election is an essential ingredient of democracy. Where consensus fails, I urge us all to go into the primaries as brothers and sisters. All participants in the primaries, as contestants or voters, must keep the peace and be ready to play as sportsmen and women in the overall interest of the party and our country. We cannot afford rancorous conduct or the debasement of our democracy and party unity.

“In every contest, there will be a winner and a loser. I urge the winners not to gloat in victory and the losers to show sportsmanship by taking things in their stride and preparing for another time. The ultimate winners are those who don’t choose to wreck the boat but rather work to prepare for another round. Our opponents are waiting for us to be against each other; we should disappoint them.”

He called on winners and leaders to extend “olive branches” to losers, rejecting “the do-or-die politics that we have put behind us.”

Losers, he noted, could appeal to party redress committees, adding, “Politics should never be a zero-sum game. Any candidate that wins does so for all of us as a party.

“To the party leadership, our governors, and other leaders, I urge you to be fair and just. You must rise above sentiment to offer all aspirants a level playing field that guarantees participation without let or hindrance. While only one person will win for every seat contested, we should give eventual losers the satisfaction of a fair contest.”

Special emphasis went to inclusivity. “The inclusion of women and youth is dear to my heart. I appeal to voters in the primaries and leaders at all levels to give special consideration to our women and youth in the contest. We cannot afford to relegate the two significant demographics of our population.”

He charged security agencies to stay neutral: “Lastly, the Police and other security agencies must remain professional and avoid acting as interlopers during this exercise. Your duties strictly centre on ensuring peaceful exercise. Nothing more.”

Meanwhile, the national leadership of the party has cleared aspirants for House of Representatives in Lagos, Rivers, Enugu, Ekiti and other states to participate in the party’s primary barring any last minute change in plan.

Information available at the secretariat of the party in Abuja indicates that the party screened and cleared all the aspirants that purchased its expression of interest and nomination forms to vie for the tickets to the lower legislative chambers from those states.

Our source equally disclosed that all is now set for the conduct of the shadow elections into the House of Representatives on Friday in various states across the country.

The National Working Committee (NWC) of the party, according to multiple sources, has reportedly ceded significant control to the state governors to decide the “mode of primary” which best suit their respective domains after wide consultations with all relevant stakeholders.

A senior party official involved in conducting the screening process for the five key states disclosed that the committee resisted all attempts to bow to external interference to disqualify certain aspirants.

While admitting intense lobbying and “pressure from political opponents,” the source noted that the screening panels settled for an all-inclusive approach.

According to the official: “No aspirant was disqualified. I was part of the team that handled Lagos, Ondo, Ekiti, Enugu, and Rivers States and I can confirm to you that all the aspirants were cleared.

“Yes, there was intense pressure to disqualify some aspirants, but the screening committee stood its ground and cleared all of them,” the official said.

The national leadership of the party spent a greater part of Tuesday and Wednesday reviewing findings of the screening committees. Although the official results have not been formally gazetted, sources at the party’s secretariat confirmed that the reports were fine-tuned and ratified.

The party’s leadership, it was further gathered, equally directed primary election committees to the states to liaise with the state governors of their places of assignment to ensure a seamless and rancour free primaries that would produce acceptable candidates to fly the party’s flag next year.

The NWC had at its 186th meeting in April granted similar concessions to the state governors to coordinate the adoption of the mode of the primary elections.  The governors, according to party officials, will now determine the most acceptable mode of primary to ensure the emergence of generally acceptable candidates, stressing that it will adhere to the timelines of the revised timetable and schedule of activities for primary.

“We have done everything possible for the primaries to hold as scheduled,” the source assured.

The House of Representatives primary today, holding in all 360 federal constituencies, will kick-start the marathon weeklong political activities. The senatorial primary is scheduled for Monday, May 18, House of Assembly on Wednesday, May 20 while the governorship aspirants will hold on Thursday, May 21, climaxing with the presidential primary on Saturday, May 23

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