By Lateef Ibrahim,
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has officially concluded the designated timeframe for registered political parties to conduct their presidential primaries.
The exercise, which closed on Saturday, May 29, has reshaped Nigeria’s political landscape, producing at least ten presidential candidates alongside unprecedented internal party crises and sweeping re-alignments ahead of the 2027 general elections.
While some platforms secured seamless nominations, several major political parties concluded their exercises highly fractured, curiously producing two competing presidential candidates each due to bitter leadership tussles.
At the centre of the upcoming race is the incumbent President, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who secured a unanimous re-election ticket from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Tinubu easily sidelined his sole challenger, Stanley Osifo, who was widely viewed as a political neophyte.
Beyond the ruling party, a wave of dramatic “third force” realignments has completely altered traditional party structures- the Obi-Kwankwaso Alliance, having the former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, when emerged as the standard-bearer for the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC). In a formidable pairing, Obi has selected the former Governor of Kano State, Alhaji Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, as his vice-presidential running mate.
Former Vice President Alhaji Atiku Abubakar abandoned his traditional People’s Democratic Party (PDP) platform, moving instead to a faction of the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
Alao, the current Governor of Oyo State, Seyi Makinde, has picked up the presidential ticket under the Allied Peoples Movement (APM), while former Cross River State Governor Donald Duke makes a return to the presidential stage under the People’s Redemption Party (PRP).
Similarly, Human rights activist Omoyele Sowore and lawyer-businessman Prince Adewole Adebayo have both returned as the presidential candidates for the African Action Congress (AAC) and the Social Democratic Party (SDP), respectively.
However, the intense division within Nigeria’s political landscape is most evident in the severe factional splits rocking several major parties, leading to competing presidential candidates claiming the same party flags.
The main opposition, PDP has fractured entirely into two camps. A court-recognized faction backed by the Minister of the FCT, Nyesom Wike, held its primary at the Wadata House headquarters, affirming history professor Senator Sandy Onor as its candidate. Simultaneously, a rival faction led by Tanimu Turaki endorsed former President Goodluck Jonathan—who was notably absent from the venue.
Similarly, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) has split down the middle. A faction led by former Senate President David Mark elected Atiku Abubakar as its flag bearer, while a competing faction produced Dr. Dumebi Kachikwu.
The Social Democratic Party (SDP) is facing an identical crisis, pitting Prince Adewole Adebayo against Abimbola Akeem Atanda, the latter being elected by a faction loyal to the party’s deposed National Chairman, Shehu Gabam.
Political analysts note that the dramatic exit of Atiku Abubakar to the ADC and the migration of the Obi-Kwankwaso ticket to the NDC suggest that the traditional PDP structure has heavily fractured under the weight of its protracted internal crises.
However, the final ballot remains uncertain. With multiple parties running dual primaries, an intense wave of litigation is inevitable.
Ultimately, INEC will only recognize the candidates from the specific factions that are legally validated by the courts in the coming months.
