APC presidential primary: a list of all presidential aspirants & portfolios
All Progressive Congress (APC) the ruling party in Nigeria is gearing up to retain power ahead of the 2023 general elections.
The presidential seat is a highly contested office with a total of twenty-eight aspirants having declared interest in the party’s presidential flag bearer.
Ahead of the party’s primaries scheduled on June 6-8, 2022, a screening of candidates was initiated chaired by John Odigie-Oyegun.
The party’s National chairman is Abdullahi Adamu. The party in the 2019 election secured all the top seats in the Nigerian political sphere: the President ( Muhammadu Buhari), Vice President (Yemi Osinbajo), Senate President (Ahmed Lawan), and the Speaker of the House of Representatives (Femi Gbajabiamila).
The party also secured 66 seats out of 109 seats in the Nigerian Senate, 224 seats out of 360 seats in the House of Representatives, 22 seats out of the 36 Governorship seats, and 598 seats out of the 991 seats in the State House of Assemblies.
The 28 aspirants who declared interest in the party’s presidential seat include:
Mohammed Badaru Abubakar- incumbent governor of Jigawa state
Godswill Akpabio- a former senator and governor of Akwa Ibom state, former minister of Niger Delta Affairs
Rotimi Amechi- former governor of Rivers state, former speaker of the Rivers state House of Assembly, former Minister of Transportation
Ibikunle Amosun- Former governor of Ogun state and incumbent Senator for Ogun Central
Orji Uzor Kalu (Withdrew) – Senator for Abia North and former governor of Abia state
Benedict Ayade -Governor of Cross River state, and former senator for Cross River North
Tunde Bakare – Pastor, Global Citadel Community Church (CGCC)
Dimeji Bankole- Former House of Representatives member for Abeokuta South, former speaker of the House of Representatives
Yahaya Bello- Governor of Kogi state
Robert Ajayi Boroffice- Senator for Ondo North
Kayode Fayemi -Governor of Ekiti State, former minister of solid mineral development
Nicholas Felix -Pastor
Tein Jack-Rich -Businessman
Ibrahim Bello Dauda (Withdrew) -Accountant, and businessman
Ahmad Lawan – Senator for Yobe North, current President of the Senate, former House of Representative member for Bade/Jakusko
Ikeobasi Mokelu- Former Minister of Information and Culture
Godwin Emefiele (Withdrew) -Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria
Ken Nnamani- Former senator for Enugu East, former president of the senate
Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba- Former minister of state for education, a former House of representative member
Uju Kennedy Ohanenye -Lawyer and first female presidential aspirant of APC
Chris Nwajbueze Ngige (Withdrew) – Minister of Labour and Employment, former senator for Anambra Central, former governor of Anambra state
Rochas Okorocha- Senator for Imo west, former governor of Imo state
Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim (Withdrew)- Human Rights Activist and businessman
Ogbonnaya Onu -Former minister of science, technology and innovation, former governor of Abia state
Oluyemi Oluleke Osinbajo -Nigeria’s vice president; former Attorney General of Lagos state, and professor
Ahmad Sani Yerima – Senator for Zamfara west, former governor of Zamfara state
Bola Tinubu -Former governor of Lagos state, former senator of Lagos west
Dave Umahi -Governor of Ebonyi state, and former deputy governor of Ebonyi state
Moses Ayom (Withdrew)- Businessman
Adams Oshiomhole (Withdrew)- Former governor of Edo state
Timipre Sylvia (Withdrew) – Minister of state for petroleum resources, former governor of Bayelsa state.