Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
ABUJA, Nigeria – Senate President Godswill Akpabio has called on the leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to speed up the release of the party’s final list of candidates for the 2027 general elections, warning that prolonged uncertainty over the party’s nomination process is fueling growing anxiety among lawmakers and other political stakeholders across the country. Speaking at the inauguration of the APC National Campaign Council for the Ekiti governorship election in Abuja on Wednesday, June 10, 2026, Akpabio noted that many legislators are concerned about their political futures, playfully adding that some have even developed “hypertension” as they continue to wait for the party’s decision.
Akpabio’s remarks came as the ruling party has released a first batch of candidates who won senatorial primaries across 34 states and the Federal Capital Territory. The growing list of prominent political figures includes Senate President Akpabio, who will defend his Akwa Ibom North-West senatorial seat; Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin; Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele; and a host of sitting and former governors who will now represent their constituencies in the upper chamber. The senatorial list includes seven serving governors – Dapo Abiodun (Ogun East), Abdullahi Sule (Nasarawa North), Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq (Kwara Central), Inuwa Yahaya (Gombe North), Mai Mala Buni (Yobe East), Hope Uzodimma (Imo West), and Umaru Fintiri (Adamawa North) – alongside 11 former governors such as Gabriel Suswam, Ibrahim Shekarau, Yahaya Bello, Simon Lalong, Orji Uzor Kalu, Aliyu Wamakko, Abdulaziz Yari, Adams Oshiomhole, Adamu Aliero, Sani Bello, and Ramalan Yero.
Akpabio urged APC members to remain united, and emphasised that the party’s success in upcoming elections depends on loyalty to its candidates and leadership. He also called on members who participated in the party primaries to accept the outcome and focus their collective energy on securing victory for the party in the 2027 general elections. The Senate President’s call for unity is particularly significant given the high number of incumbent senators who lost their bids for re-election during the APC primaries. The party has witnessed fierce internal contests across several states, with some longtime legislators and political heavyweights failing to secure tickets.
In a separate development, the APC at the same event inaugurated a high-powered National Campaign Council for the June 20 Ekiti State governorship election, where incumbent Governor Biodun Oyebanji is seeking re-election. Kaduna State Governor Uba Sani was named chairman of the campaign council, with Senate President Akpabio serving as co-chairman and Senate Leader Bamidele as secretary. The council comprises serving and former governors, principal officers of the National Assembly, and other senior party leaders.
APC National Chairman, Professor Nentawe Yilwatda, expressed full confidence in Governor Oyebanji’s re-election, describing him as one of the party’s best-performing governors. Yilwatda declared that the party was fully prepared to “conquer Ekiti” and that Oyebanji’s leadership had recorded remarkable achievements in infrastructure, healthcare, social protection, and rural connectivity. “I was an eyewitness to what the governor is doing. You have built roads, provided social protection, scholarships and health support systems for the people. You are not only connecting roads, you are connecting hearts across Ekiti State,” Yilwatda said.
Governor Uba Sani set an ambitious target for the APC in the Ekiti election, aiming to secure over 500,000 votes for Governor Oyebanji, a significant increase from his 2022 victory margin. Sani noted that the party had already established campaign structures across all 16 local government areas and 177 wards in Ekiti State, with a strong focus on mobilising women and youths. He described Oyebanji’s leadership as “a rare political phenomenon,” citing the unprecedented support the governor enjoys from all living former governors of Ekiti State, a testament to his inclusive leadership.
Senate President Akpabio, speaking as co-chairman of the campaign council, praised Oyebanji as one of the most humble and effective governors in the APC fold, expressing confidence that the party’s coordinated nationwide campaign apparatus would deliver a decisive victory on election day. The Independent National Electoral Commission has fixed June 20, 2026, for the Ekiti State governorship election, with political parties across the country concluding their preparations ahead of the poll.
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