APC Open to Transparent Primaries if Consensus Fails Ahead of 2027 Elections — Gov. Buni
Governor Mai Mala Buni has stated that the All Progressives Congress remains open to conducting fair, credible, and transparent primary elections should efforts to reach a consensus ahead of the 2027 general elections fail.
The governor said the party has not ruled out direct elections as a means of producing candidates for contestable offices in the upcoming polls.
Speaking on the emergence of Baba Mallam Wali as the party’s preferred candidate, Governor Buni explained that the decision followed resolutions reached during a critical stakeholders’ meeting held on April 23, 2026.
According to him, while Wali was endorsed and adopted as the preferred candidate, the party remains committed to democratic processes if consensus is not generally accepted.
“The emergence of Baba Mallam Wali as the preferred candidate of the party followed the resolutions of the critical stakeholders meeting of April 23, 2026. He was endorsed and adopted as the preferred candidate, but if there is no general agreement, we shall adopt the election mode,” Buni said.
The governor recalled that a similar situation occurred in 2019 when he emerged as a consensus candidate but eventually contested in a primary election after some aspirants rejected the arrangement.
“In 2019, I was nominated as a consensus candidate, a few other aspirants contested the decision, and we went for election where I emerged as the party’s candidate with a very wide margin. We are ready to repeat that history if we cannot reach consensus,” he added.
Governor Buni noted that the party leadership is still engaging stakeholders and aspirants through dialogue to arrive at an amicable solution that would preserve unity within the party.
“As governor of the state, I will be the happiest person to see the state and the party peaceful and united. We remain citizens of Yobe State and members of APC. My expectation is to see us more united and collectively working for our candidates to win the 2027 general election,” he stated.
The governor, who is also a former National Chairman and founding member of the APC, stressed that the unity and progress of the party remain personally important to him.
He described Yobe State as a model of political transparency, participatory democracy, and politics without bitterness, assuring party members that everyone would be given a sense of belonging regardless of the outcome of the party’s internal processes.
Governor Buni further urged APC members across the state to promote unity and mobilise support for the party ahead of the 2027 elections, including President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s second-term bid.
“I call on all APC members in the state to promote unity and generate more support for the party to remain Yobe and Nigeria’s ruling political party and to deliver the state to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s second-term bid and all other candidates of the APC,” he said.
APC Open to Transparent Primaries if Consensus Fails Ahead of 2027 Elections — Gov. Buni