‘Earn Your Tickets or Forget It’ – Akpabio Tells APC Lawmakers

Senate President Godswill Akpabio has warned lawmakers and other aspirants in the All Progressives Congress (APC) that party tickets for the 2027 elections will not be secured through influence or post-primary lobbying, stressing that only those who win at the grassroots will be considered legitimate candidates.

Akpabio gave the warning on Wednesday at the inauguration of the APC National Campaign Council for the June 20, 2026 Ekiti State governorship election in Abuja, where he also expressed concern over delays in the release of the party’s official list of candidates.

He said the delay had created anxiety among serving lawmakers, joking that some senators were already feeling the pressure.

“Some of my people (Senators) are having hypertension. So, they are really coming down with hypertension,” he said.

The Senate President urged the APC National Working Committee (NWC) to ensure transparency and inclusiveness in the process of finalising and submitting the party’s candidate list to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

According to him, many lawmakers feel sidelined when final names emerge without adequate consultation.

“I am pleading with the party that when they bring out their final list, they need to show that they are carrying all of us along,” Akpabio said.

However, he made it clear that he would not intervene in favour of aspirants who fail to secure victory during party primaries, stressing that electoral success must come from the support of delegates and party members.

Akpabio said political office seekers must do the necessary groundwork at the grassroots rather than rely on political connections after losing.

“You have the absolute right to choose anybody you want, and then for the President of Nigeria, he also has the right to make his choice,” he said.

“But when anybody has lost the election on the ground, please don’t expect me, as chairman of the National Assembly, to come and plead with you to put the person back on the list. It simply means the person has lost.”

He added that the leadership of the National Assembly would not serve as a safety net for failed political campaigns.

“The Senate President, as chairman of the National Assembly, is saying that you should have done your homework well before going for the primaries,” he stated.

Akpabio’s comments come amid rising political activities within the APC as preparations intensify for the 2027 general elections.

Also speaking at the event, APC National Chairman, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, said the party’s National Working Committee retains the final authority on the list of candidates to be submitted to INEC.

He noted that preparations for the submission of candidates would begin once the Independent National Electoral Commission opens its portal and issues access codes to political parties from June 26.

The APC has continued consultations and internal engagements as it moves to finalise its structures ahead of the next election cycle.