No fewer than 10 state governors and ex-governors are actively working to replace incumbent senators ahead of the 2027 general elections, in a sweeping political realignment reshaping Nigeria’s legislative landscape.
The sitting governors, whose tenure will expire by May 2027, are leveraging their grip on the party structures in their states to secure Senate tickets largely through “consensus” arrangements.
At least 12 of the 36 incumbent governors are already serving their second and final terms in office. Of that number, 10 will complete their constitutionally mandated eight years on May 29, 2027, setting the stage for a high-stakes political transition that is already unsettling party structures nationwide.
Eight of the affected governors are members of the ruling All Progressives Congress. Seyi Makinde of Oyo State belongs to the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, while Bala Muhammed of Bauchi is affiliated with the Allied Peoples Movement.
Those completing their tenure in 2027 include AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq (Kwara), Abdullahi Sule (Nasarawa), Ahmadu Fintiri (Adamawa), Babagana Zulum (Borno), Muhammadu Yahaya (Gombe), Mai Mala Buni (Yobe), Babajide Sanwo-Olu (Lagos), and Dapo Abiodun (Ogun), alongside Makinde and Bala Mohammed.
Although Governors Douye Diri of Bayelsa and Hope Uzodimma of Imo will also finish their second terms, their exit dates fall in January and February 2028, respectively, due to off-cycle elections. Yet, their longer timelines have not excluded them from early succession and Senate calculations.
Last month, President Bola Tinubu, during a meeting with the leadership of the National Assembly, rebuffed lobbying efforts by the lawmakers to secure automatic return tickets for the ruling party’s legislators ahead of the 2027 general elections. Instead, he reaffirmed the authority of state governors over the selection of candidates in their respective states.
Tinubu had earlier suggested that he would “do everything within the party’s power” to ensure the return of serving legislators, a promise that raised expectations in the National Assembly.
Multiple senior National Assembly sources familiar with the meeting said the senators had gone to the Villa specifically to press for Tinubu’s assurances.
An insider said, “The meeting was to plead for automatic tickets for senators, but President Tinubu insisted that the governor of each state has influence over candidates.
“They made a case for continuity and stability and argued for automatic tickets, but the President was very clear in his response.
“He told them plainly that governors were the leaders of the party in their states and must have a say on who gets the ticket.”
Less than 24 hours later, President Tinubu convened a second meeting, this time with APC governors.
Present were Prof. Babagana Zulum of Borno State, Hope Uzodimma of Imo State, Inuwa Yahaya of Gombe State, Hyacinth Alia of Benue State, Biodun Oyebanji of Ekiti State, Peter Mbah of Enugu State, and AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq of Kwara State, among others.
Niger State Governor, Mohammed Bago, who spoke to State House correspondents, revealed that Tinubu had formally empowered governors to drive the primaries process.
Bago said, “We came to thank the President for his magnanimity and his support to the governors and for our party, the APC.
“He gave us a matching order on what to do for him. He has delegated and ceded his executive power to the governors to conduct primaries in accordance with the Electoral Act, either through consensus or direct primaries. So, he has reiterated his support for our decision, and he has given us a go-ahead.”
Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq confirmed the development, saying, “The timetable for the primaries has been released. We’ve discussed the process moving forward so that there will be free and fair elections, no rancour, at the end of the process, so the party comes out stronger, stronger than ever, heading towards the election.”
Investigations by our correspondents in Yobe, Nasarawa, Adamawa, Ogun, Gombe, Bauchi, Kwara, Imo, among others, revealed that a clear pattern has emerged as party stakeholders endorse the governors or their anointed candidates as sole candidates while rivals are pressured or compelled to step aside, and primaries are either avoided or rendered symbolic.
In many of the affected states, incumbent senators are either being forced into silence, compelled to withdraw, or locked out entirely.
In Yobe State, the incumbent senator representing Yobe East senatorial district, Musa Mustapha, formally stepped aside to back Governor Buni after a high-level stakeholders’ meeting in Damaturu.
Mustapha also stepped down from the APC governorship race in the state, pledging full support for Buni and endorsing the party leadership’s direction ahead of the 2027 elections.
His withdrawal means that only one sitting senator is affected by the governor’s bid for a senatorial ticket, and there is no indication he plans to contest the seat on another political platform.
The senator announced his decision in a statement following a stakeholders’ meeting held on April 23, 2026, at the Government House in Damaturu. The meeting, convened under the auspices of the Yobe APC Critical Stakeholders’ Forum, was led by Governor Buni and the Minister of Police Affairs, Ibrahim Gaidam.
According to Mustapha, party stakeholders collectively resolved to support any candidate presented by the leadership.
He said, “During our meeting, we unanimously agreed to support whoever our leaders present as their preferred governorship candidate.”
Mustapha noted that his decision to step down was guided by “integrity and responsibility,” expressing confidence in the judgment of the party’s leadership.
“In the spirit of integrity and responsibility, I hereby formally withdraw from the contest for the APC senatorial ticket,” he stated.