President Bola Tinubu has turned down a quiet lobbying effort by senators seeking automatic return tickets ahead of the next general elections, insisting instead that state governors retain decisive influence over candidate selection, a senior Senate source has revealed.

Tinubu on Wednesday met 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 triggered by resolutions reached behind closed doors earlier in the day.

Presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga confirmed the development in a post on X (formerly Twitter), but did not disclose the substance of the deliberations.

A communication attributed to the Senate leadership and shared by Onanuga stated that “far-reaching decisions were taken at this strategic meeting, which deliberated on matters of urgent national importance.”

Though details of the deliberations were not made public, Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele said “far-reaching decisions” were taken during the meeting, which he noted focused on “matters of urgent national importance.”

In a statement posted on social media, Bamidele said he joined the Senate delegation in discussions with Tinubu, adding that the engagement was convened in response to issues arising from the Senate’s executive session.

“Far-reaching decisions were taken at this strategic meeting, which deliberated on matters of urgent national importance,” he stated, without providing specifics.

However, a National Assembly source, who spoke with SaharaReporters on Thursday on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the meeting, said the lawmakers held the closed-door session with the president to press for assurances that sitting senators would be guaranteed party tickets without facing internal contests.

“The meeting was to plead for automatic tickets for senators but President Tinubu insisted that the governor of each state has the influence over candidates,” the Senate source said.

“They made a case for continuity and stability and argued for automatic tickets but the President was very clear in his response,” the source said.

Tinubu, the source added, rejected the proposal and emphasised the central role of governors in shaping party structures at the state level, including determining who emerges as candidates.

“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.

Automatic tickets have historically been a contentious issue in Nigerian politics, often criticised for stifling internal democracy, while defended by incumbents as a tool for preserving legislative experience and party cohesion.