APGA Moves to Adopt Tinubu as 2027 Presidential Candidate

APGA Moves to Adopt Tinubu as 2027 Presidential Candidate

The All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) has announced plans to adopt President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as its presidential candidate for the 2027 general election.

National Chairman of the party, Sly Ezeokenwa, disclosed this on Thursday during a press briefing in Lagos while responding to questions on the party’s strategy for the next presidential poll.

Ezeokenwa said APGA does not intend to field its own presidential candidate in 2027 but would instead support Tinubu, provided he secures the nomination of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

According to him, the party’s national convention would formally adopt Tinubu if he emerges as the APC flag bearer through the party’s primary process.

“We hope that during the national convention of the APC, if he secures the nomination of his party through direct primaries, I can assure you that the national convention of APGA will adopt him as our presidential candidate,” he said.

The APGA chairman explained that the move was based on the confidence the party has in Tinubu and his administration’s policies.

He said the President’s Renewed Hope Agenda aligns with the ideology of APGA, adding that the party believes the policies of the current administration resonate with its political vision.

Ezeokenwa also noted that adopting a candidate from another party was not new to APGA, recalling that the party supported former President Goodluck Jonathan during the 2011 and 2015 presidential elections.

He stressed that such a decision is permitted under Nigeria’s electoral laws and has been part of the party’s political strategy in the past.

Speaking on recent amendments to the Electoral Act, Ezeokenwa welcomed the introduction of direct primaries for political parties, saying the provision could reduce the high cost associated with delegate-based primaries.

However, he expressed concern over certain provisions of the law which require political parties to submit their membership registers to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) ahead of primaries, congresses and conventions.

“The constitution says you must belong to a political party, but you cannot determine for me who my members should be. That should not be the business of the electoral body,” he said.

He argued that some of the provisions appear to place smaller parties at a disadvantage, warning that they could limit the ability of such parties to produce credible candidates.

Despite the concerns, the APGA chairman said the party supports the adoption of direct primaries and urged INEC to ensure that future elections remain credible and transparent.

Ezeokenwa further revealed that APGA has commenced a nationwide digital membership registration and revalidation exercise in compliance with the new law.

According to him, the exercise began on March 1 and is expected to last for one month as part of efforts to update the party’s membership database ahead of future political activities.