The All Progressives Congress (APC) is set to adopt President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as its sole presidential candidate for the 2027 general election, party leaders have indicated ahead of the forthcoming national convention.
The disclosure was made on Monday in Abuja by former Cross River State Governor, Ben Ayade, former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, and former Katsina State Governor, Aminu Masari, during a meeting of the convention’s Environment and Sanitation sub-committee.
The sub-committee, chaired by Kogi State Governor Usman Ododo, is part of preparations for the APC National Convention scheduled for later this week.
Speaking at the meeting, Ayade said the party was repositioning to build a new Nigeria focused on people-centred policies, while expressing confidence in Tinubu’s leadership.
“I want to say that we will end this with a calisthenics dance, a dance that shows that we are indeed prepared for the elections come next year. Indeed, it is very clear that our president has done so well. And so we are here to celebrate the convention and, of course, an adoption of sort of President Bola Tinubu,” he said.
Masari, who chairs the Convention Central Coordination Committee, also affirmed the party’s readiness for both the convention and the 2027 elections.
“We are ready, you can see that we are ready. And we are waiting for 2027, and our convention. We are ready for it, come Saturday,” he stated.
Dogara, in his remarks, described the convention as an opportunity for the party to showcase its achievements and present its vision ahead of the next general election, while acknowledging that ongoing reforms may take time to yield results.
“I’m happy that we have President Tinubu; someone who is courageous, someone who is dedicated to the progress of this country. As benefits of these reforms begin to crystalise, Nigerians will see clearly why we should return him back,” he said.
Meanwhile, Chairman of the Aspirants’ Screening Sub-committee and Ekiti State Governor, Biodun Oyebanji, assured aspirants of a transparent and fair screening process in line with party guidelines and the Electoral Act.
“We are going to be transparent. We are going to be fair. We are going to be just to all of them (aspirants)… So they don’t have anything to fear,” Oyebanji said.
Also speaking, Secretary of the committee, Senator Uche Ekwunife, expressed confidence in the party’s electoral prospects.
“We want to let Nigerians know that APC is prepared… we are confident that in 2027, APC is going to win landslide, 90 per cent of all the votes cast in Nigeria. President Tinubu is coming back,” she stated.
In a related development, the Progressive Governors’ Forum (PGF), led by Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma, resolved to retain the existing zoning formula for the election of party executives at the national level.
The forum, which met in the early hours of Tuesday, said there was no need to alter the zoning arrangement since the presidency remains in its current region.
According to a statement issued after the meeting, the governors reaffirmed their commitment to the Renewed Hope Agenda and emphasised the importance of aligning state-level governance with national reforms.
“The forum appreciated Mr. President’s openness, clarity of purpose, and commitment to building a stronger Federation,” the statement read.
The APC convention is expected to serve as a major platform for consolidating party structures and setting the tone for the 2027 general election.
