President Tinubu Urges Restraint Ahead Of APC Primaries, the President made the call on the eve of the APC primaries urging party leaders and aspirants to maintain decorum and avoid rancor.
Kano —
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has appealed to members, aspirants, and party leaders to conduct themselves as sportsmen and women as the party prepares to conduct its primary election across all states on Saturday.
He cautioned that rancorous behaviour would only serve the opposition, and cautioned winners against gloating, while urging losers to accept defeat with grace.
In a personal statement issued by the President on Thursday, ahead of the commencement of House of Representatives primaries, President Tinubu said the exercises were not merely platforms to produce standard bearers but a referendum on the APC’s unity, resilience, and strength as a party entering its fourth election cycle.
“In every contest, there will be a winner and a loser. I urge the winners not to gloat in victory and the losers to show sportsmanship by taking things in their stride and preparing for another time” he said
President Tinubu Urges Restraint Ahead Of APC Primaries
“The ultimate winners are those who don’t choose to wreck the boat but rather work to prepare for another round. Our opponents are waiting for us to be against each other; we should disappoint them” he added
The President made a reference to a mode of political engagement he said the party had left behind,warning against its return.
“We should not play the politics of old, the do-or-die politics that we have put behind us. Politics should never be a zero-sum game. Any candidate that wins does so for all of us as a party,” he stated.
The President further noted that wherever consensus had already been reached among aspirants, it should be maximised to reduce conflict.
President Tinubu Urges Restraint Ahead Of APC Primaries
“I am aware that, in line with the provisions of the Electoral Act 2026 and our party’s constitution, leaders at various levels have initiated conversations to produce consensus candidates.It is a commendable option that would help in reducing rancour and bad blood among party members,” he added
But where consensus fails, he reaffirms that members must conduct themselves with discipline.
“I urge us all to go into the primaries as brothers and sisters,” the President appealed
Tinubu urged party governors and leaders to ensure a fair and transparent process and rise above personal sentiment.
President Tinubu Urges Restraint Ahead Of APC Primaries
“You must rise above sentiment to offer all aspirants a level playing field that guarantees participation without let or hindrance” he said“
While only one person will win for every seat contested, we should give eventual losers the satisfaction of a fair contest.
He also directed that winners and party leaders at all levels reach out to those who did not succeed with olive branches, and urged aspirants who felt aggrieved to approach the party’s redress committees rather than destabilise the process.
The President also appealed for the inclusion of women and youth.
President Tinubu Urges Restraint Ahead Of APC Primaries
“I appeal to voters in the primaries and leaders at all levels to give special consideration to our women and youth in the contest. We cannot afford to relegate the two significant demographics of our population” he said
He also issued a firm directive to security agencies deployed for the primaries, urging them to limit their role strictly to maintaining peace.
“The police and other security agencies must remain professional and avoid acting as interlopers during this exercise. Your duties strictly centre on ensuring peaceful exercise. Nothing more” he stated
President Tinubu Urges Restraint Ahead Of APC Primaries
The primaries are taking place under the Electoral Act 2026, which reduced the statutory notice period for elections from 360 to 300 days.
The Speaker of the House of Representatives Hon Tajudeen Abbas, noted that the adjustments could allow Presidential and National Assembly elections to be held in January 2027.
Tension Across States
Fresh tensions have erupted across several states as the ruling All Progressives Congress is set to commence its primaries on Friday (today) ahead of the 2027 general elections, forcing party leaders and key stakeholders loyal to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to intensify consultations to prevent a full-blown internal crisis.
The growing unrest, which has triggered protests, collapsed consensus negotiations, and led to accusations of candidate imposition and reconciliation efforts across multiple states, comes as the APC leadership races to preserve party cohesion before the primaries gather momentum nationwide.
President Tinubu Urges Restraint Ahead Of APC Primaries
Reports revealed that while some APC-controlled states successfully adopted consensus arrangements for the primaries, others descended into intense disputes as aspirants resisted pressure to step down for preferred candidates.
The crisis is more pronounced in states such as Taraba, Kano, Kaduna, Oyo, Yobe, and Abia, where disagreements over consensus candidates, endorsements and alleged automatic tickets have sharply divided party stakeholders.
In Kano State, consensus negotiations for House of Representatives tickets remained deadlocked as party leaders struggled to avert divisive contests across the 24 federal constituencies.
In an interview with Freedom Radio,on Thursday, Kano APC Publicity Secretary, Auwal Soja, confirmed that consultations were still ongoing late into the evening.
President Tinubu Urges Restraint Ahead Of APC Primaries
“Consensus among the aspirants of the APC for the 24 federal constituency seats is still ongoing, which will hopefully be concluded by 10 pm today,” he said
However, he admitted that direct primaries would hold wherever consensus arrangements fail.
“As you know, the APC Constitution provides only for direct primaries and consensus as legitimate pathways for selecting candidates,” Soja added
The Electoral Act 2026 permits political parties to adopt either direct primaries, where all registered party members vote, or consensus arrangements backed by written consent from cleared aspirants.
President Tinubu Urges Restraint Ahead Of APC Primaries
Indications revealed that consensus talks in Kano may face resistance in some constituencies, especially Kumbotso Federal Constituency, where aspirants and their supporters openly demanded competitive primaries.
