Nigeria in May 2026: the most important developments in politics
In Nigeria in May 2026, politics was dominated by party primaries ahead of the 2027 elections, with Lagos State the most closely followed. Lagos cleared its salary backlog and paid retirees billions of naira on 26 May, after Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu approved a 50,000 naira relief package for state workers on 1 May. In the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) primaries, Odunuga-Bakare won the party's ticket for the state assembly after incumbent Desmond Elliot withdrew, citing intimidation. Three principal officers and nine members of the assembly failed to secure tickets. On 31 May the APC dropped Salu-Hundeyin and picked Sonayon-James as Hamzat's running mate.
At national level, President Bola Tinubu won the APC primaries in Kano and Borno states and announced he will seek a second term in 2027. He said the opposition lacks a clear vision and would not be allowed to take Nigeria backward. The APC adopted Yusuf as its Kano governorship candidate, and Senator Gaya lost the Kano South senatorial ticket after joining the NDC party. The opposition moved toward alliances: supporters of Peter Obi and Rabiu Kwankwaso held a unity summit in Abuja, and former President Goodluck Jonathan met Hayatu-Deen in a fresh move toward an alliance in the African Democratic Congress (ADC). A faction of the ADC led by Durotolu Kachikwu held its own convention. The Supreme Court sent the dispute over the Mark-led ADC leadership back to the High Court and voided the Ibadan convention of a PDP faction. Atiku Abubakar's US lobbyist alleged political intimidation and threatened to brief President Trump. In Rivers State, Nyesom Wike said Governor Siminalayi Fubara had breached an impeachment agreement.
On foreign relations, Nigeria took over the chairmanship of the African Union Peace and Security Council. The US said it was reviewing its aid to Nigeria, citing insecurity, while National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu spent three days in Washington meeting US officials, including Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio. President Trump welcomed Nigeria's envoy. On corruption, Nigeria arrested former Power Minister Mamman, who had been sentenced to 75 years for graft, and a court ordered the seizure of a private jet in an NNPC fraud case.
by WorldBrief & Maksim Micheliov | AI-generated summary
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