President Bola Tinubu on Friday hosted the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, alongside several federal lawmakers in a closed-door meeting at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, in what is shaping up to be a series of high-level political consultations ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The meeting, which was not included in the President’s official schedule, took place shortly after the lawmakers joined Tinubu for Jummah prayers at the State House mosque. Sources within the Villa confirmed the presence of Speaker Abbas, House Chief Whip Usman Kumo, and other unidentified legislators.
Although the agenda of the meeting was not disclosed, officials said the discussions were held behind closed doors, with no immediate details made public.
One official, who spoke anonymously, noted that the lawmakers proceeded to the President’s office after prayers but was unaware of the specific issues raised.
“You know the senators had their own meeting on Wednesday and now the House of Reps. It’s difficult to say if the discussions are on the same concerns,” a presidential aide said.
The visit comes just two days after Senate leadership, led by Senate President Godswill Akpabio, also held a similar closed-door session with Tinubu at the Villa, further fueling speculation over intensified political consultations within the ruling party.
According to multiple sources, some senators reportedly sought assurances of automatic return tickets ahead of the 2027 elections. However, the President was said to have rejected the request, reiterating that the responsibility for candidate selection lies with state governors.
In a related development, Tinubu reportedly met with governors of the All Progressives Congress (APC) on Thursday, where he further reinforced their authority over the primaries process in their respective states.
Niger State Governor Mohammed Bago, speaking after the meeting, confirmed the development, stating that governors had been given the mandate to oversee party primaries in line with the Electoral Act, whether through consensus or direct primaries.
“He gave us a matching order on what to do for him. He has ceded his executive power to the governors to go ahead and conduct primaries based on the Electoral Act, either consensus or direct primaries,” Bago said.
Meanwhile, the APC has scheduled its House of Representatives primaries for May 15, 2026, with the sale of nomination forms set to begin on Saturday.
The President’s recent engagements with lawmakers and governors are being closely watched within political circles, as they appear to signal early realignments and growing tension over ticket allocations ahead of 2027.
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