The All Progressives Congress is facing growing internal turbulence ahead of the 2027 general elections as aggrieved aspirants and their supporters defect to opposition parties or seek redress in court over the outcome of the party’s 2026 primaries.
The crisis, which has spread across several states, has raised concerns within the ruling party over the possible electoral consequences of losing politicians with established grassroots structures and loyal supporters.
Nearly four months after the primaries, efforts by the APC National Working Committee to reconcile aggrieved members have yet to resolve some of the disputes, with reconciliation panels and peace missions deployed to affected states producing limited results.
Some of the aggrieved aspirants argue that the reconciliation process has failed to offer them meaningful political concessions, leaving litigation and defection as their preferred options.
The situation has also been complicated by provisions of the amended Electoral Act, which have reduced the flexibility available to political parties to accommodate defeated aspirants through consensus arrangements, deputy positions and other post-primary bargains.
The reduced political space for compromise has made it more difficult for the APC to contain the fallout from its primaries.
The development is particularly significant because several of the politicians involved are influential party members with established political networks. Their departure could affect the APC’s chances in governorship and National Assembly contests and, in closely fought states, have implications for the presidential election.
In Nasarawa State, former Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu Abubakar, defected from the APC to the Social Democratic Party after losing the governorship primary.
In Kwara State, Senator Saliu Mustapha moved to the Peoples Democratic Party after being excluded from the governorship and senatorial contests. His defection was followed by the movement of members of his political structure.
Bauchi State has also recorded a major defection, with Senator Shehu Umar Buba leaving the APC after losing the governorship primary.
The APC Deputy State Chairman, Ibrahim Misau, as well as some ward and local government officials, subsequently joined the exodus.
In Cross River, a member of the House of Representatives, Alex Egbona, defected from the APC to the PDP as he seeks to retain his seat for a third term.
The situation in Osun remains unsettled, with Senator Iyiola Omisore rejecting reconciliation efforts after he was screened out of the governorship primary.
About 20 of his supporters have reportedly defected to Accord, further widening the division within the party ahead of the election.
In Ondo State, some of the disputes have moved to the courts, with aspirants linked to Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa challenging the outcomes of APC primaries.
One of the litigants, Pastor Akingboye Akinleke David, is challenging the emergence of Donald Ojogo as the APC candidate for the Ilaje/Ese-Odo Federal Constituency.
Sources familiar with the dispute claimed that Aiyedatiwa’s camp financed nomination forms for some of the aspirants currently challenging the primary outcomes in court.
Political observers have warned that prolonged litigation and defections could weaken the APC’s electoral machinery in affected constituencies and provide opportunities for opposition parties to gain ground.
Party insiders have privately acknowledged that what began as individual grievances has increasingly developed into a wider pattern of discontent, despite continuing efforts by reconciliation committees to restore unity.
Several lawsuits challenging the conduct and outcomes of APC primaries are also pending, leaving the candidacies of some aspirants uncertain as political activities intensify ahead of the 2027 elections.
The unfolding development presents a major challenge for the ruling party, whose emergence as a national political force was itself significantly aided by defections from opposition parties.
More than a decade after its formation, the APC now faces the prospect of the same political strategy being deployed against it by aggrieved members seeking alternative platforms for the 2027 elections.