President Bola Tinubu stepped into the APC primary arena for the 2027 elections and declared the party’s internal process a triumph of grassroots democracy. He told reporters the exercise was peaceful, well-organised, and open to every card-carrying member. His praise arrives at a moment when rival factions inside the APC still trade accusations of voter suppression and delegate manipulation.
The President’s appearance signals the ruling party’s attempt to project unity ahead of the general election. Tinubu’s allies in the National Working Committee have spent months fending off legal challenges from aggrieved aspirants who claim the primary guidelines were rigged in favour of preferred candidates. His public endorsement of the process now puts the party’s internal disputes on full display.
Legal fireworks are already lined up. At least three high-profile aspirants have filed petitions at the Federal High Court seeking to nullify the primary results. Their lawyers argue the APC failed to follow its own constitution by excluding certain delegates and inflating voter registers. A ruling in their favour could force a fresh primary, throwing the party’s 2027 campaign timetable into chaos.
Tinubu’s move also sends a warning to opposition parties. The PDP and Labour Party have both accused the APC of using state apparatus to intimidate their own primary delegates. By staging a flawless primary, the APC aims to deflect those charges while keeping its internal critics off balance. The next 48 hours will reveal whether the President’s democracy sermon can silence the party’s warring camps or merely paper over the cracks.
