• Tonye Cole pulls out of APC Rivers governorship race
• Like Pantami, ex-transport minister Alkali withdraws from Gombe guber primary
• Oyo: AKK bows to party supremacy, directs supporters to vote for Alli
• Over 50% of APC members unhappy with conduct of primaries – Forum
• Implosion looms in Lagos APC as aspirants petition Tinubu over alleged primary irregularities
• No results released yet in Anambra five days after primaries

The political crisis in Rivers State that had held governance to a standstill in the last three years came to a conclusive end last night when Governor Siminalayi Fubara announced his withdrawal from the All Progressives Congress governorship primaries.
 
In a statement, the Governor said the decision followed wide consultations with family, friends, and political associates, stressing that personal ambition must give way to the greater interest of Rivers people.
 
The aspirant thanked supporters for their loyalty and sacrifices throughout the political journey, acknowledging the disappointment many may feel over the withdrawal. He cited the need for peace, unity, and stability in the state, adding that the silence maintained in recent weeks was deliberate and guided by the state’s higher interest.
 
While hinting at recent political developments, the Governor said some issues were best handled quietly in the interest of peace, insisting the decision was not borne out of fear or weakness.
 
He also appreciated the APC leadership and President Bola Tinubu for their support and encouragement, while urging party faithful to remain united and committed to the party ahead of the governorship election.
 
“Let it be clearly understood that I stepped aside from participating in the upcoming River’s state Gubernatorial election not out of weakness, fear, or surrender, but out of conviction and sacrifice so that Rivers State may move forward in peace and unity and I remain committed to serving the good people of Rivers State till the end of my term,” the statement read.
 
This development came after governors elected on the platform of the party failed in their overtures to save one of their own from being disgraced. This is coming after Fubara’s loyalists seeking tickets for the Rivers House of Assembly, House of Representatives and the Senate were disqualified to pave the way for aspirants aligned with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.
 
The batter was lost for Fubara after the governor was alienated from his men, who all lost out in the power game within the party. Members of the Progressive Governors Forum had earlier resolved to stand firmly behind Fubara, insisting that no political humiliation or injustice should be allowed against a sitting APC governor, but it was a feeble attempt, as Fubara’s hands were reportedly tied to the political agreement broached by President Tinubu for the governor to drop his second-term ambition.

AHEAD of today’s governorship shadow election of the ruling APC, several gladiators who had earlier talked tough and insisted on a fight to the finish succumbed to overtures from party leaders.
 
Last night, former Rivers State APC governorship candidate, Tonye Cole, announced his withdrawal from the party’s primary election, stating that the decision was taken in the overriding interest of peace, reconciliation, and the supremacy of the party following extensive consultations.
 
Describing himself as a committed democrat and advocate of strong institutions, he pledged his full support and cooperation to whoever emerges as the party’s candidate at the end of the primaries. He urged all his supporters to remain calm and peaceful and to fully cooperate with the party’s leadership.

IN Gombe State, former Minister of Transportation, Saidu Alkali, has withdrawn from the governorship primary due to alleged irregularities and violations of electoral laws. Alkali’s decision followed the withdrawal of Isa Pantami, former Minister of Communication and Digital Economy, on Tuesday.
 
In a statement on Wednesday by Umar Jibrin, his media aide, Alkali said he would boycott the primary due to a loss of confidence in the process’s credibility.
Alkali noted that the recent incidents during the APC House of Representatives and Senate primaries forced him to withdraw from the race, despite fulfilling the requirements to contest, including purchasing nomination forms and passing the party’s screening process.
 
The former minister of transportation claimed that the exercises did not portray democratic standards and failed to comply with provisions of the Electoral Act guiding direct primaries. The former minister noted that his participation in the forthcoming governorship primary under such circumstances would amount to endorsing a “flawed process”.
 
Also, a frontline aspirant and former member of the North East Development Commission (NEDC) board, David Sabo Kente, stepped down from the race in Taraba State. Addressing the press in Jalingo, Kente announced that his decision was made to ensure political stability within the state chapter, citing intense pleas from various party stakeholders, including the National Chairman, Prof. Nentawe Yiltwada.
 
Kente was firm in his rebuttal of rumours regarding his exit, asserting that he was not induced by money. According to him, “I also want to make it clear that I was not paid to step aside. In fact, no one has the capacity to buy me over. As a party member, I remain deeply loyal to the APC.”
 
In Bauchi State, a gubernatorial aspirant, Shehu Umar, and Senator Shehu Buba withdrew from the race. Umar revealed his withdrawal in a statement he personally signed on Wednesday.
 
Earlier, a coalition of support groups backing his aspiration advised him to withdraw his aspiration and refrain from participating in the party primaries. The groups alleged that the atmosphere is not conducive for him to continue in the race.
 
According to the groups, the primary election process is fraught with irregularities, stressing that what was currently playing out is merely imposition and selection rather than a democratic election.
 
Buba, on his part, withdrew from the race over alleged violation of the 1999 constitution, the Electoral Act, the APC constitution and the party’s electoral guidelines. He alleged that the party in the state had been engrossed in a leadership crisis involving key positions within the state executive committee, including the offices of the secretary and organising secretary.
 
With the development, the race for the APC governorship ticket for Bauchi is now between the former governor of the state, Mohammed Abubakar, and the former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar.
 
In Oyo State, the party leadership yesterday confirmed that none of its governorship aspirants has been disqualified from participating in the gubernatorial primary. The clarification came amid widespread speculation alleging that a former Minister of Power and prominent governorship hopeful, Adebayo Adelabu, had been excluded from the contest.
 
Speaking with journalists at the APC Secretariat in Oke-Ado, Ibadan, on Wednesday, the Chairman of the APC House of Assembly/Governorship Primaries Election Committee in Oyo State, Taofeek Olawale Abdulsalam, dismissed the rumours and affirmed that all duly registered aspirants remained eligible to contest.
 
However, an aspirant, Dr Adewale Kolapo Kareem (AKK), has directed his supporters to vote massively for Senator Sharafadeen Abiodun Alli. Kareem announced the decision on Wednesday following what he described as a “deeply emotional and highly critical consultative meeting” with members of his campaign structure, ward coordinators, local government leaders and political associates across the state.
 
According to him, the decision was based on directives and a consensus arrangement reached by the APC leadership at both the national and state levels in favour of Senator Alli as the party’s consensus candidate.
 
“We have always maintained that the party remains supreme, and this is an organisational ideology I have consistently preached throughout my years in public life,” Kareem said. He explained that although the decision was difficult, it became necessary in the interest of unity and the collective future of the party in Oyo State.

MEANWHILE, with the conclusion of the State and National Assembly primary elections, the North-Central APC Forum has declared that more than 50 per cent of the party’s members are unhappy with the conduct of the exercise. The Guardian reports that the APC primaries have been characterised by a series of disqualifications, conflicting results, irregularities and violence.
 
Many of the aspirants who were screened out of the primaries have disputed their disqualification, threatening legal action if the decisions announced by the primary election committees are not reversed.
 
Speaking on the development, the North-Central APC Forum said the “poor conduct” of the exercise has vindicated its earlier warning that the process for the primary elections had been commercialised by party national officials.
 
In a statement signed by its Chairman, Saleh Zazzaga, the APC Forum suggested that most of those disqualified from the race are people who did not dance to the tune of the party’s national officers and their cronies selected to coordinate the exercise in different states.
 
According to the Forum, many APC members are not only unhappy with the primaries, but are also dissatisfied with how the national chairman, Prof Nentawe Yilwatda, is running the party. “From what we have gathered, 50 per cent of party members across the country are not happy with the conduct of the APC primary elections. They are not happy with the national chairman,” the statement said.
 
The North-Central APC Forum further alleged that, unlike what was obtainable in the past, the selection of members of the current primary election committees was not based on competence or experience. Membership was largely based on personal relationships with party officials, the Forum said.
 
Similarly, there are indications of a looming implosion in the Lagos chapter of the APC following allegations of interference by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and his deputy, Obafemi Hamzat, in the conduct of the House of Representatives primaries held on Monday. It was also alleged that the incumbent lawmaker representing Ikeja Federal Constituency, James Faleke, who is also the Director-General of the Justice Forum caucus, played a key role in the process.
 
As of yesterday, The Guardian sighted no fewer than five petitions addressed to President Bola Tinubu, APC National Chairman Nentawe Yilwatda, Lagos State APC Chairman, Pastor Cornelius Ojelabi, and other party leaders.
 
Among those who submitted petitions were the immediate past spokesperson of Lagos APC, Oluseye Oladejo, who contested for Mushin Federal Constituency; Akeem Animashaun, who contested for Mainland Federal Constituency; Kolawole Taiwo, who contested for Ajeromi-Ifelodun Federal Constituency; Ayodele Adewale, who ran for Amuwo-Odofin Federal Constituency; Dr Adesola Samuel Adedayo, who contested for Apapa Federal Constituency; and Prince Abdul Animashaun.
 
Beyond allegations that Governor Sanwo-Olu and his deputy allegedly shifted the goalpost to favour preferred aspirants, it was also claimed that Hamzat personally collaborated with some elements within the Justice Forum to undermine aspirants believed to have ties with the Mandate Group.
 
In some constituencies, returning officers were alleged to have deliberately abandoned polling units after discovering that aspirants not aligned with Hamzat or the Justice Forum were gaining the upper hand.
 
A notable example was the situation in Mushin Federal Constituency, where the returning officer allegedly left the polling unit for hours, only to later return and announce results said not to reflect the actual voting pattern.
 
In a petition dated May 2026, Adewale challenged the validity and finality of the primary election results in Wards A, C, D, E, F, G, H, I and J, arguing that material and substantial irregularities were allowed to occur unchecked by electoral officials, thereby rendering the results inconclusive and the overall outcome unreliable.
 
He said: “The primary election held in Amuwo-Odofin Federal Constituency was marked by material breaches of the Electoral Act 2026, the APC Constitution, and basic principles of electoral credibility. Forged voters were admitted, agents were denied accreditation, violence was permitted, and thousands of registered members were unlawfully disenfranchised.”
 
He further alleged that the returning officer abandoned the polling unit at a crucial stage of the exercise.
 
Ayodele, in his petition, urged the APC leadership to conduct a full and independent investigation into the accreditation and voting processes across the 11 wards in Amuwo-Odofin Federal Constituency. He also demanded a review of all materials, processes and procedures used during the primary, the nullification of the results announced for the constituency, and assurances of strict compliance with APC constitutional provisions in future exercises.
 
In Ajeromi-Ifelodun Federal Constituency, Taiwo alleged that after votes were counted, the incumbent lawmaker, Hon. Kalejaiye Paul, scored 112 votes, while he polled 3,821 votes.
In another petition, Ganiyu Adele Ayuba of Ajeromi-Ifelodun Federal Constituency called on the party leadership to nullify what he described as the wrongful declaration that Hon. Olabisi Adebajo was the winner of the primary election, insisting that he won the contest with 37,021 votes.
 
According to Oladejo’s petition, “The Returning Officer disappeared from the collation centre at the Mushin Local Government Secretariat of the party after receiving a phone call. Before then, results from three wards had already been submitted by their respective electoral officers, with Seye Oladejo leading comfortably.
 
“He later reappeared at the state secretariat of the party late in the evening and allegedly submitted falsified and concocted figures to favour Fayinka, the incumbent.”
 
Supporters of the aggrieved aspirants warned that the party should brace for consequences during the general election if the alleged irregularities were not addressed.
 
However, the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Gbenga Akosile, dismissed the allegations against the governor and deputy governor, insisting that all factions and groupings within the party had already been harmonised.

He said everybody was given a fair and level playing ground.
 
Also, some APC stakeholders in Ekiti State have called on President Tinubu and the party’s national leadership to urgently intervene in the ongoing crisis trailing the House of Representatives primary elections in the state. The stakeholders alleged widespread irregularities, manipulation of results and suppression of party members during the direct primaries, particularly in Ekiti North Federal Constituency II.
 
The constituency, which comprises Ido-Osi, Ilejemeje and Moba local government areas, is currently represented by Akinlayo Davidson Kolawole. In an open letter addressed to President Tinubu on Wednesday, the group under the aegis of Concerned Ekiti APC Stakeholders described the conduct of the primaries in parts of the constituency as “undemocratic and unprogressive.”
 
The letter, signed by Coordinator Alhaji AbdulRaman Agboola and Secretary Hon. Daniel Fatoriji, condemned what they termed the “writing of results” in areas where elections allegedly did not hold. According to them, wards 5 and 6 in Usi, Ido-Osi Local Government Area, alongside several wards in Ilejemeje LGA, reportedly did not witness voting despite results later being announced. The stakeholders claimed that genuine results favouring the incumbent lawmaker were allegedly altered at the state collation centre in Ado Ekiti.
 
The story is the same in Anambra State, as the House of Representatives primaries have continued to raise dust. More so, five days after, the official results have not been announced. The situation has therefore thrown both winners and losers into a quandary.
 
Already, the appeal panel to look into petitions and objections has arrived in the state from the Abuja headquarters of the party. Repeated calls to the State Chairman, Sen Emma Anosike, yielded no response.
 
Dr Kingsley Ezekwelu, who asserted that he recorded a sweeping victory across all the electoral Wards in Idemili Federal Constituency, has disclosed that the welfare of the electorate was his watchword as he prepares to also sweep the stakes at the main poll later in the year. He noted that the nation and its citizens must be salvaged from the pervading decadence.
 
One of the contenders in the constituency, Innocent Igboekwe, called for the cancellation of the primary election. In a strongly worded petition to the National Chairman and other top officers and arms of the party, he enumerated perceived lapses he and his agents saw. It was further learnt that he has taken his appeal to the national headquarters of the party in Abuja.