Eshioromeh Sebastian
The All Progressives Congress now has four more governorship candidates for the 2027 elections following primaries held across Abia, Adamawa, Kwara, and Nasarawa States on Friday, May 22, 2026.
In Abia, business mogul Eric Opah defeated a former Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Chief Henry Ikechukwu Ikoh, to secure the party’s ticket. Opah polled 126,977 votes against Ikoh’s 5,905 votes.
A third aspirant, Mascot Uzor Kalu, voluntarily withdrew from the race before the primary, making it a straight contest between Opah and Ikoh.The primary was conducted across 184 electoral wards in Abia using the direct voting method.
Returning Officer Barthow Nyelong announced the result at the APC State Secretariat in Umuahia early Saturday morning. Nyelong said Opah met all the requirements of the APC constitution and guidelines and declared him the winner.
The Abia APC quickly issued a congratulatory statement through its Publicity Secretary, Uche Aguoru, describing Opah as “an internationally renowned businessman and distinguished leader.”
The party expressed confidence that the shipping magnate has the leadership capacity, vision, and experience to lead the party to victory in 2027.Opah hails from Nsulu in Isiala Ngwa North Local Government Area.
That sets up an interesting battle against his kinsman, Governor Alex Otti of the Labour Party, who comes from Isiala Ngwa South Local Government Area.
The two men are from neighbouring council areas, and the 2027 contest will be a clash of neighbours.In Adamawa, Aminu Tijani Galadima emerged as the APC governorship flag bearer.
The Primary Election Committee Chairman, Professor Innocent Bariko, announced that Galadima polled 401,444 votes. His closest rival, Alhaji Abdulrazak Namdas, secured 86,000 votes. Abdulrahman Haske came third with 65,935 votes.
The margin was wideโGaladima won decisively.Bariko said the process followed APC rules and that all aspirants were given a fair opportunity. He added that the committee was satisfied that the outcome reflected the will of party members.
But not everyone was happy. Abdulrahman Haske, who finished third, raised concerns.
He pointed to irregularities that, in his view, needed careful review. These included the absence of collation processes in some local government areas, irregularities in voting in certain polling units, and limited access to collation procedures before the final declaration of results.
Haske told reporters: “It was surprising that while we were waiting for the collation of the votes to happen, what happened to our greatest surprise was the declaration of the winner.
We have our data, and we will consult and state our position over the weekend.”He struck a tone of sportsmanship despite his complaints. He urged restraint among his supporters and called for calm across Adamawa State.
He also disclosed that consultations were ongoing with party leaders, stakeholders, and supporters to determine the next course of action.
The Kwara primary produced the biggest upset of the night. Speaker of the Kwara State House of Assembly, Yakubu Danladi Salihu, defeated Ambassador Yahaya Fatai Seriki Gambari, the mining magnate whom Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq had publicly endorsed as his successor.The Primary Election Committee Chairman, Senator Musiliu Obanikoro, declared Danladi the winner.
The Speaker polled 94,990 votes. Seriki came second with 41,700 votes. Fifteen aspirants contested the primary.
Among the notable names, former Speaker of the House of Representatives and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Mohammed Dele Belgore, polled 3,411 votes. Bashir Omolaja Bolarinwa got 22,118 votes.
The rest trailed far behind.Obanikoro announced the result at the banquet hall of the Government House in Ilorin.
Three of the 15 aspirantsโProfessor Olawale Sulaiman, Danladi Salihu himself, and Captain Ahmed Mahmudโwere physically present.In his remarks, Obanikoro acknowledged the logistical challenges that had forced the party to shift the primary from Thursday to Friday. He praised party members for their resilience.
Then he made the declaration: “I, Senator Musiliu Olatunde Obanikoro, hereby pronounce Rt. Hon. Yakubu Danladi-Salihu as the winner of the governorship primary, having satisfied the requirements of the APC constitution and guidelines and scored the highest number of votes.
“The result invalidated Governor AbdulRazaq’s earlier announcement of Seriki as his chosen successor. The governor had endorsed Seriki just days before the primary.
But the Speaker had spent seven years building his own base inside the state assembly. Eighteen of the twenty-four APC lawmakers reportedly answer to Danladi, not the governor. When the primary came, those lawmakers delivered their delegates.
In Nasarawa State, Senator Ahmed Aliyu Wadada clinched the APC governorship ticket.
He defeated a former Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu Abubakar, in a tension-filled primary. Wadada polled 195,285 votes. Adamu got 39,675 votes. The margin was substantial.
The Primary Election Committee Chairman, Professor Theodore Maiyaki (SAN), announced that Wadada came top in 12 out of the 13 local government areas in the state. Wadada, who currently represents Nasarawa West in the Nigerian Senate, was one of seven aspirants cleared by the party’s screening committee.
The others included Professor Mohammed Sanni Haruna, Liman Hassan Mohammed (SAN), Zakkah Yakubu, Tanimu Adamson, and Fatima Abdullahi Adamu.
The results showed Tanimu Adamson with 64 votes, Dr. Fatima Adamu with 136 votes, Liman with 863 votes, and Yakubu with 396 votes.Across all four states, the APC primaries were largely peaceful, though Adamawa produced the most significant complaint from Haske.
The party’s national leadership is expected to ratify all four results in the coming days.Meanwhile, the APC is set to hold its presidential primary today, May 24, 2026. President Bola Tinubu, who is seeking re-election, will face Stanley Osifo, an Edo State APC chieftain.
The party says all registered APC members will be eligible to vote for their preferred presidential aspirant. The election is scheduled to be held across 8,809 wards nationwide.
In a related development, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) has produced its own governorship candidate for Rivers State.
Former House of Representatives member, Dr. Farah Dagogo, emerged as the ADC flag bearer. He polled 64,700 votes in the party’s direct primaries held across all 319 wards of the 23 local government areas in Rivers. His nearest challenger, Dr. Sokonte Davies, got 9,050 votes.
The Chairman of the ADC Rivers State Governorship Primary Electoral Committee, Dr. Agu Bryan, announced the result alongside other committee members and representatives of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Responding, Dagogo said the victory belonged to every member of the ADC and every Rivers State resident who believes in a better future for the state. He urged Rivers people to rise above division and embrace unity, inclusiveness, and collective responsibility.”
This project is bigger than any individual or political interest,” Dagogo said. “It is a collective mission that requires the support, ideas, and participation of all residents and stakeholders across Rivers State.
“He promised to build upon the legacies of past administrationsโfrom Commander Alfred Diete-Spiff to Chief Ada George, Dr. Peter Odili, Rotimi Amaechi, Nyesom Wike, and Governor Siminalayi Fubara.
“We will learn from their successes, improve upon their shortcomings, and chart a new course,” he said.The ADC’s presidential primary is scheduled for May 25, 2026.
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and former Rivers Governor Rotimi Amaechi have both been cleared by the party’s screening committee, along with economist Muhammed Hayatu-Deen.
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