Tinubu appoints Gbajabiamila, Masari to oversee APC NASS primaries

By Ademola Adekusibe

President Bola Tinubu has tasked his Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, and his Special Adviser on Political Matters, Ibrahim Masari, with supervising the All Progressives Congress primary elections for Senate and House of Representatives seats ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The decision followed recent meetings with senators and reps members who pushed for internal party democracy, sources said.

Under the new arrangement, the duo will work with APC state governors, the party’s National Working Committee, the Senate President, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives to deliver on their assignment.

Gbajabiamila and Masari are expected to coordinate with governors and party leaders to ensure peaceful, transparent, and credible primaries across the country, while keeping the President regularly updated on the process.

The supervision does not replace the statutory duties of the APC National Secretariat, which will still organise and conduct the primaries in line with the Electoral Act and the party’s guidelines, according to the report.

The supervisory team will focus on political coordination, monitoring due process, and helping to manage conflicts. The NWC will retain full responsibility for issuing notices, screening aspirants, deploying primary panels, and collating results.

Meanwhile, top politicians have been mounting pressure on the President to expand the supervisory team to accommodate more interests. But Tinubu has so far refused, wary of creating a platform that could undermine the party’s lawful role in conducting free, fair, and credible primaries.