Obasa, Buhari Win APC House Primaries

The All Progressives Congress has cleared its deck for the 2027 general elections by asserting strict party control over its legislative nominations. The ruling party conducted primaries across all 360 federal constituencies on Saturday, rewarding key loyalists while purging dissenters. Mudashiru Obasa, the powerful Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, successfully clinched a ticket to transition to the green chamber. Yusuf Buhari, the son of former President Muhammadu Buhari, also secured a ticket, signaling the enduring influence of the northern political dynasty. These victories show that the party apparatus continues to favor establishment figures and family pedigree over political newcomers.

Behind the high-profile victories lies a ruthless internal screening process that eliminated 14 aspirants before delegates could even vote. The party disqualified these hopefuls across Ondo, Bauchi, Ebonyi, Kogi, and Rivers states for failing to meet basic internal criteria. Four serving members of the House of Representatives fell victim to this administrative axe. Internal party screening committees wield immense power in Nigerian politics. The party leadership uses these committees to weed out independent voices and enforce absolute discipline. National Publicity Secretary Felix Morka defended the disqualifications as a routine application of party rules.

The purge fell heaviest on opposition redoubts and volatile political states. In Rivers State, the party disqualified Anderson Allison, Awaji-Inombek Abiante, and Boma Goodhead. Iduma Igariwey of Ebonyi State also lost his chance to run under the ruling party banner. Ten other aspirants, including former lawmakers and retired military officers, failed to clear the bureaucratic hurdles. This sweeping disqualification suggests a deliberate strategy to handpick candidates in tricky regions. By narrowing the field early, the party brass reduces the risk of expensive and divisive primary battles.

In sharp contrast to the friction elsewhere, the top legislative leadership enjoyed an easy path to victory. Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, secured his ticket unopposed through a swift affirmation exercise in Kaduna State. All 1,376 delegates across the 13 wards of Zaria Federal Constituency endorsed him for a fifth consecutive term. The ruling party rarely allows local rivals to challenge a sitting speaker. It values stability at the top of the legislature. This smooth endorsement contrasts sharply with the chaos in the southern branches.

These weekend contests show that the ruling party is moving fast to lock down its legislative slate well ahead of the 2027 cycle. The early timing of the primaries gives the party a head start in fundraising and campaign planning. It also gives disqualified aspirants less time to defect to opposition platforms or launch protracted legal battles. By combining coronation for its leaders with disqualification for its wildcards, the party high command has tightened its grip on the legislature. The strategy aims to secure a compliant national assembly long before the general electorate casts a single ballot.