Political commentator and Convener of the Bola Ahmed Tinubu Ideological Group, Bamidele Atoyebi, has criticised the All Progressives Congress for allegedly allowing state governors to impose unpopular candidates during party primaries, warning that the development could weaken the party going into elections.

In a statement titled “Why is APC Pampering its Governors?”, Atoyebi said many Nigerians initially welcomed reports that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had accepted direct or consensus primaries because they believed it would end the era of imposed candidates.

However, he alleged that governors still dominated the selection process and forced their preferred candidates on the party.

According to him, several APC supporters in Kwara State expressed dissatisfaction with candidates allegedly chosen by the governor. He claimed an APC stakeholder in Ilorin West, Kwara Central, admitted that some party members might vote for the Peoples Democratic Party because the opposition’s candidate was more popular.

Atoyebi also cited complaints from residents in Oke-Ode Ward in Kwara South, who reportedly questioned the governor’s choice of candidate and warned that the APC could lose support if unpopular aspirants were imposed on voters.

He further narrated an encounter with a man from Nasarawa State at an airport who blamed President Tinubu for allegedly handpicking governorship candidates. Atoyebi said he corrected the man, insisting that governors, not the President, were responsible for selecting candidates in their states.

He accused governors of using the President as a shield to avoid criticism and claimed rumours within the party suggested that governors had been given broad powers to determine candidates for political offices.

Atoyebi warned that the practice could damage the APC, citing the example of a “highly popular sitting senator” whose ticket was allegedly denied because of disagreements with his governor, forcing the senator to defect to an opposition party.

He argued that political offices should be based on merit and performance rather than loyalty to governors. To support his position, he referenced the biblical parable of the talents, where servants who multiplied their talents were rewarded with greater responsibilities, while the unproductive servant lost his talent.

He also compared political leadership selection to academic grading, police promotions, and employment in the banking sector, saying individuals who demonstrate competence and strong performance are usually rewarded with greater opportunities.

According to him, many governors and their preferred candidates lack meritocratic qualities and have failed to support reforms introduced by the Tinubu administration, including initiatives aimed at cushioning the effects of fuel subsidy removal.

Atoyebi accused governors of frustrating Local Government autonomy and preventing governance from reaching grassroots communities effectively.

He recalled President Tinubu’s statement urging Nigerians to hold governors accountable and argued that the current political climate should have been an opportunity to check governors’ excesses rather than strengthen them further.

Honourable Bamidele Atoyebi, the convener of the BAT-IG, also serves as the coordinator of Accountability and Policy Monitoring PR and a publisher of Unfiltered and Mining reports.