The All Progressives Congress (APC) has waived the screening requirement for President Bola Tinubu ahead of the 2027 presidential primaries, effectively clearing him to contest without appearing before any screening panel.
The decision was taken at the party’s 188th National Working Committee (NWC) meeting held in Abuja, signaling overwhelming internal backing for the incumbent president.
In an official statement, the party justified the decision as being in line with its constitution and internal powers.
“The National Working Committee of the All Progressives Congress, at its 188th meeting held today, May 6, 2026, resolved to waive, and has waived, screening requirements for His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, and deemed him duly screened in accordance with the Constitution of the party for the purpose of participation in the upcoming primary elections.
“This decision was made pursuant to the powers conferred on the NWC under Article 13.4 (xiii) and (xiv) of the Constitution of the APC to organise and supervise the party’s primaries and, in special circumstances, grant waivers in the best interest of the party.
“The NWC noted that the President has received overwhelming endorsement and a vote of confidence from critical stakeholders of the party, including the Progressive Governors Forum (PGF), the leadership and members of the National Assembly, and other organs of the party at the APC National Summit of May 22, 2025, and other major statutory events of the party.
“It further noted that, as the incumbent President and leader of the party, having been duly screened and cleared ahead of the 2022 presidential primaries, requiring his physical appearance before a screening committee at this time would be redundant and unnecessary.”
This comes as the APC’s sale of expression of interest and nomination forms, pegged at a staggering N100 million, closed on May 6, with screening exercises scheduled to begin on May 8.
In a show of political muscle, Ikeja federal lawmaker James Faleke had earlier purchased the nomination forms on behalf of the president.
Meanwhile, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has fixed January 16, 2027, for the presidential and National Assembly elections, with governorship polls slated for February 6.
Campaigns are expected to kick off in August 2026, setting the stage for what is already shaping up to be a fiercely contested race.
With this waiver, Tinubu enters the primaries with a clear path, as the ruling party rallies behind in the race for 2027 presidency
