IN SHORT: A message doing the rounds online claims that Nigeria's All Progressives Congress is granting automatic tickets to national assembly members. But the ruling party has dismissed it as fake news.
In April 2025, media reports began circulating online claiming that the Nigerian president, Bola Tinubu, was attempting to turn Nigeria into a one-party state in order to secure re-election in the country’s 2027 general elections.
In a one-party state, a single political party exerts control over the government, either through legal provisions or practical implementation. In the Nigerian context, this would mean that the All Progressives Congress (APC) would be the only party.
The claims regarding Tinubu's one-party agenda were also based on the exodus of governors and national assembly members from opposition parties to the APC.
Against this backdrop, several social media posts claim the APC has granted automatic tickets to all national assembly members ahead of the 2027 polls.
Nigeria’s national assembly has two chambers: the senate and the house of representatives. An “automatic ticket” would therefore mean extending the tenure of the members.
The claim also appears here and here. (Note: See more instances listed at the end of this report.)
But has the APC given automatic tickets to national assembly members? We checked.
‘Fake news’
Such a significant announcement by Nigeria's ruling party would receive widespread publicity in the mainstream media. We didn’t find any reporting on this, calling into question the claim’s legitimacy.
On 3 June, the APC dismissed the claim as “fake news”.
“The report is FAKE NEWS and should be disregarded in its entirety as it did not emanate from our great Party,” the party wrote on its official X account.
Sharing an incorrect message such as this could cause political tensions and divide the country.
The message has also been published here, here, here and here.
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