The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced that party primaries will start all over the country on Thursday of next week. These primaries will choose candidates for next year’s election. They will go on for six weeks, from April 23 to May 30, 2026. I’m keeping a close eye on Lagos State, where a long-established dynasty would likely stick to its traditions, and Akwa Ibom, where the governor has almost no opposition.
The Justice Forum, a well-known group in the APC, has come out in favor of the current Deputy Governor, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat, in Lagos.
The group has told its members to vote for Hamzat in the primary, which hasn’t even been set yet. Babatunde Fashola, the former governor, Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire, the former deputy governor, and Tajudeen Olusi, the chairman of the all-powerful Governors’ Advisory Council (GAC), are all members of the group. This cuts short the plans of leaders like Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, House of Assembly Speaker Hon. Mudashiru Obasa, and others.
Hon. James Faleke, a well-known member of the Justice Forum and the Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Finance from Ikeja Federal Constituency, told reporters last Friday that Hamzat is the best choice to replace Governor Babajide Sanwolu. He spoke the day after a group from GAC met with President Tinubu. Samuel Ajose, also known as SMA Gold, is another candidate in Lagos who has gotten support from some party members. He is a rich businessman from Badagry. Hamzat will get the ticket.
Governor Umo Eno’s support group, the Arise with Renewed Hope initiative (AWRHI), has been traveling around Akwa Ibom State to get people to back his nomination and reelection. The group has also gone to Port Harcourt, Abuja, and Lagos to meet with people from Akwa Ibom and get them to support the governor. It looks like Pastor Eno will win the ticket without any opposition, since no one else in the APC has shown interest. It would be the first time that the party’s primary didn’t have any problems.
The picture in the other parties is still coming together. At first, a lot of people thought that former House of Representatives member Hon. Onofiok Luke and former commissioner Comrade Ini Ememobong would fight for the PDP’s governorship ticket. But the party’s ongoing problems have made them less likely to do so, to the point where they haven’t said anything about it yet. No one knows which part of the PDP INEC recognizes.
But surprises are common during election season. Michael Bush, a broadcast journalist, said the other day that he wants to run for governor in the PDP. Bush says that his goal is a “divine agenda” in a flyer that is going around on social media.
How far will he go? Before he said what he wanted to do, Bush was busy writing a column in a national daily in which he blasted Governor Eno and complained about everything. I get that he’s angry because he didn’t get the job as a commissioner. He told some people that the governor has not been nice to him even though he helped him during the last campaigns. On the other hand, the governor’s supporters say that Pastor Eno has been very kind to the journalist.
So, many people are asking: Is Bush running for office because he’s angry, or does he have a good message for the people of Akwa Ibom? A senator says, “What Bush does or says in the next few weeks will show what he really wants to do—either he stays in his depression or he gets up and gives a clear alternative campaign message.”
Last weekend, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) finished its congresses and chose new party leaders in the state. A lot of the party’s activities in the state so far seem to be focused on Senator John James Akpanudoedehe, who is now the party leader in the state. He will easily win the governorship.
Hon. Dr. Philip “Okanga” Agbese, a transformative leader in Enone. Discover his achievements, community projects, and vision for 2027
