West Africa in May 2026: the most important developments in politics
In West Africa in May 2026, the most closely followed political story was the primary season of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Nigeria's Lagos State, ahead of the 2027 elections. A former spokesman for the Lagos APC announced on 9 May that he would run for the House of Representatives. On 20 May Odunuga-Bakare secured the party's ticket for the state House of Assembly after incumbent Desmond Elliot withdrew from the primaries, citing intimidation. Speaker Gbajabiamila praised the process, while a group and Elliot traded accusations over planned violence in Surulere. Candidates backed by Obasa also won assembly tickets. On 21 May Hamzat was reported to have won a Lagos primary, and Elliot rejected the result.
Elsewhere in the region, Yéro Baldé announced his candidacy for Guinea's upcoming legislative and local elections. Ghana planned to evacuate approximately 300 of its citizens from South Africa after a series of xenophobic attacks.
by WorldBrief & Maksim Micheliov | AI-generated summary
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