…Senior Lawmakers Reportedly Pencilled For Automatic Re-Election Tickets
…Silence From Presidency, Senate Fuels Speculation Of Power Realignment
Daud Olatunji
The Senate and the leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) have remained tight-lipped over fresh allegations that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has endorsed a list of serving lawmakers for automatic return tickets ahead of the 2027 general elections, triggering renewed political unease within the ruling party.
Findings indicate that several influential senators are allegedly being considered for automatic nomination in what party insiders described as a reward for their “stabilising role” in the National Assembly since 2023.
Among those reportedly listed is the Senate Leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, alongside other prominent lawmakers said to have enjoyed presidential backing in emerging internal party calculations.
Others mentioned in the alleged endorsement list include Senators Adamu Aliero (Kebbi Central), Abdulaziz Yari (Zamfara West), Orji Uzor Kalu (Abia North), Yahaya Abdullahi (Kebbi North), Abdullahi Yahaya Abubakar (Kebbi North), Idiat Oluranti Adebule (Lagos West), Danjuma Goje (Gombe Central), and Adetokunbo Abiru (Lagos East).
The development was first brought into public discussion on Monday by Kebbi State Governor, Nasir Idris, during a stakeholders’ engagement in the state, where he hinted that some lawmakers had already been pencilled down for automatic return tickets.
Idris said the affected lawmakers were being recognised for what he described as their cooperation with the executive arm of government and contributions to the passage of key reforms, which he claimed had helped stabilise governance at the national level.
However, the claim has continued to generate controversy, especially as it comes days after reports suggested that President Tinubu had ordered the cancellation of automatic tickets for lawmakers seeking re-election in 2027, deepening uncertainty within political circles.
Despite rising public interest, neither the Presidency nor the APC has officially confirmed the alleged endorsement list. Efforts to obtain responses from Senate leadership also proved abortive, as both the office of the Senate Leader and that of the Senate spokesperson, Yemi Adaramodu, declined comments.
The silence has further fuelled speculation of behind-the-scenes political negotiations and possible realignment of power blocs ahead of the next election cycle.
Meanwhile, the controversy coincides with an escalating leadership struggle within the APC in Abia State involving Senator Orji Uzor Kalu and the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, both of whom have separately claimed presidential backing to coordinate party affairs in the state.
Orji Kalu, in a Facebook statement, said he had been directed by President Tinubu to oversee APC activities in Abia State, pledging to work with stakeholders to strengthen the party ahead of the 2027 elections.
Similarly, Benjamin Kalu disclosed that the President had instructed that in states without APC governors, senior political office holders should take charge of party structures, a directive he said places him in a strategic position within the party hierarchy.
The overlapping claims and alleged endorsement list have intensified political uncertainty within the APC, as stakeholders await official clarification from the Presidency and party leadership on the direction of zoning, nominations, and internal power structure ahead of 2027.
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