THE ruling All Progressives Congress has produced its governorship candidates in Kwara, Adamawa, Benue and Yobe states ahead of the 2027 general elections, with Rt. Hon. Salihu Yakubu Danladi, Ahmad Tijjani Galadima, Governor Hyacinth Alia and Baba Malam Wali emerging victorious in fiercely contested primary elections.
News Point Nigeria reports that in Kwara State, Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Salihu Yakubu Danladi, emerged as the APC governorship candidate after defeating 14 other aspirants, including an incumbent senator, in the party’s primary election.
Danladi secured 94,990 votes in the exercise conducted across the 16 local government areas of the state.
Chairman of the APC Governorship Primary Election Committee and former Minister of State for Defence, Musiliu Obanikoro, announced the result at the Banquet Hall in Ilorin, describing the exercise as peaceful and successful.
“There is no loser in any contest in APC. We are all winners,” Obanikoro said shortly before announcing the final scores of the aspirants.
“Therefore, I, Senator Musiliu Olatunde Obanikoro, hereby pronounce Rt. Hon. Yakubu Danladi Salihu as the winner of the gubernatorial primary, having satisfied the requirements,” he declared.
The Kwara governorship primary followed days of political tension and intense succession permutations within the ruling party over who succeeds Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq in 2027.
The contest generated controversy after reports emerged that the governor had backed Ambassador Yahaya Seriki as his preferred successor, a development that triggered opposition from some aspirants and political blocs within the APC.
The crisis deepened on Thursday after the party abruptly suspended the governorship primary midway into the process, citing logistical concerns and the need for further consultations among stakeholders.
Ahead of the rescheduled exercise, Obanikoro met with aspirants at the APC state secretariat in Ilorin and assured party members of a transparent, free and credible process in line with directives from the party’s national leadership.
In Adamawa State, former Executive Secretary of the Petroleum Trust Department Fund (PTDF), Ahmad Tijjani Galadima, clinched the APC governorship ticket after polling 414,444 votes in the party’s primary election.
Chairman of the election committee, Professor Innocent Bariko, announced the result in Yola on Friday.
According to Bariko, Galadima defeated other contenders in the race, while the youngest aspirant, Abdurahman Bashir Haske, polled 65,424 votes to emerge third. Abdulrazak Namdas came second with 86,004 votes.
In Yobe State, former Secretary to the State Government, Baba Malam Wali, emerged as the APC governorship candidate for the 2027 election.
Wali, 68, was declared winner of the primary election held at the Banquet Hall of the Government House in Damaturu.
Chairman of the APC Governorship Primary Election Committee, Engr. Muttaqah Rabe Darma, said the exercise was conducted in line with the party’s constitution, guidelines and provisions of the 2026 Electoral Act.
According to the results announced by Darma, Wali polled 236,711 votes to defeat other aspirants, including Dr. Abubakar Bukar Kagu, who scored 9,748 votes.
Hon. Bashir Sheriff Machina secured 1,894 votes, while Engr. Mustapha Yunusa Maihaja got 1,178 votes. Hamidu Alhaji Muhammad scored 1,722 votes, Inusa Muhammad polled 1,148 votes, while Ma’aji Modu secured 1,371 votes.
“I therefore declare Baba Malam Wali, having satisfied the requirements of the APC constitution and guidelines and scored the highest number of votes, as the winner of the primary election and the party’s governorship candidate for Yobe State,” Darma said.
Wali, who hails from Nguru Local Government Area in Yobe North Senatorial District, had earlier emerged as the consensus candidate following a stakeholders’ meeting convened by the Minister of Police Affairs, Senator Ibrahim Geidam.
Political observers believe his emergence strengthens the agitation for power shift to Yobe North, a zone that has neither produced a governor nor deputy governor since the creation of the state in 1991.
Meanwhile, in Benue State, Governor Hyacinth Alia secured the APC governorship ticket for the 2027 election after recording a landslide victory in the party’s direct primary election.
Results announced in Makurdi showed that Alia polled 367,786 votes to defeat Jeffrey Kuranun and Terwase Orbunde, who secured 2,923 and 3,247 votes respectively.
Chairman of the Benue APC Governorship and House of Assembly Primary Election Committee, Kabir Isah, described the exercise as peaceful and transparent while declaring Alia winner of the primary election.
Speaking after his victory, Alia thanked APC members, stakeholders and residents of the state for their support, trust and solidarity.
The governor described his victory as a renewed mandate to consolidate inclusive governance, strengthen security and sustain infrastructural development across Benue State.
“I remain grateful to God Almighty for the grace and opportunity to serve the people of Benue State,” he said.
Alia also commended his co-contestants for participating in the exercise, noting that the contest reflected party members’ confidence in his administration and their desire for continuity.
The governor further praised President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the APC national leadership and the party’s advisory team for adopting the direct primary option, saying it gave party members the opportunity to freely choose their preferred candidates.
He added that his administration’s investments in healthcare, education, road infrastructure and recruitment of teachers contributed to the confidence reposed in him by party members.