EXCLUSIVE: Tinubu Denies Senators Automatic Tickets, Affirms Governors’ Dominance
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has rebuffed a quiet lobbying effort by senators seeking automatic return tickets ahead of the next general elections, insisting that state governors must retain decisive influence over candidate selection, a senior Senate source has revealed.
The president met on Wednesday with the extended leadership of the Senate at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, in what lawmakers described as an “emergency and strategic” engagement following a closed-door executive session.
The delegation, led by Senate President Godswill Akpabio, arrived at the State House shortly after the upper chamber adjourned plenary, amid indications that the meeting was prompted by resolutions reached behind closed doors earlier in the day.
Presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga confirmed the meeting in a post on X (formerly Twitter), but did not disclose details of the deliberations.
A communication attributed to the Senate leadership and shared by Onanuga noted that “far-reaching decisions were taken at this strategic meeting, which deliberated on matters of urgent national importance.”
Similarly, Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele said the engagement focused on pressing national issues, though he declined to provide specifics.
However, a National Assembly source, who spoke with The National Bridge on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the discussions, revealed that lawmakers had used the opportunity to seek assurances that sitting senators would be granted automatic party tickets without facing internal contests.
“The meeting was to plead for automatic tickets for senators, but President Tinubu insisted that governors in each state have decisive influence over candidates,” the source said.
According to the source, the senators argued that automatic tickets would promote continuity, stability, and legislative experience. But the president was unequivocal in his response.
“He told them plainly that governors are the leaders of the party in their states and must have a say on who gets the ticket,” the source disclosed.
Tinubu’s position underscores the longstanding influence of governors in shaping party structures at the state level, including determining candidate emergence.
Automatic tickets have historically remained a contentious issue in Nigerian politics—criticised for undermining internal democracy, but defended by incumbents as a mechanism for preserving party cohesion and legislative continuity.
