The All Progressives Congress on Wednesday began efforts to manage the gains from recent defections and resolve internal disputes in some state chapters ahead of the 2027 general elections, party sources revealed.
The party’s National Working Committee and governors elected on its platform held a closed-door meeting in Abuja amid growing political consultations ahead of the APC’s National Convention scheduled for March.
The session, led by Imo State Governor and APC Governors’ Forum chairman Hope Uzodinma, and National Chairman Nentawe Yilwatda, took place at the Imo State Governor’s Lodge in Asokoro. Governors in attendance included Caleb Mutfwang (Plateau), Uba Sani (Kaduna), Mohammed Idris (Kebbi), Francis Nwifuru (Ebonyi), Ahmad Aliyu (Sokoto), Ahmed Usman Ododo (Kogi), Hyacinth Alia (Benue), Agbu Kefas (Taraba), Umo Eno (Akwa Ibom), Lucky Aiyedatiwa (Ondo), and Babajide Sanwo-Olu (Lagos), among others.
Party insiders said the meeting focused on strategies to accommodate eight opposition governors who recently defected to the APC, along with their supporters, and to address crises in state chapters, including Rivers State.
“Although the party has recorded significant successes with these defections, we are aware of the potential for internal friction if the situation is not properly managed,” one official said. “We need to devise means to manage everyone, even as preparations for the elections begin in earnest.”
The APC has recorded its largest wave of defections since taking power in 2015, with at least eight governors, several federal and state lawmakers, commissioners, and influential grassroots figures switching from opposition parties to the ruling party between 2025 and 2026. The defecting governors include Siminalayi Fubara (Rivers, PDP), Peter Mbah (Enugu, PDP), Sheriff Oborevwori (Delta, PDP), Douye Diri (Bayelsa, PDP), Umo Eno (Akwa Ibom, PDP), Agbu Kefas (Taraba, PDP), Abba Yusuf (Kano, NNPP), and Caleb Mutfwang (Plateau, PDP).
The influx has expanded the APC’s territorial footprint and strengthened its ability to coordinate power from the federal level to the states, a key advantage in Nigeria’s politics given governors’ influence in mobilizing votes and resources.
However, party insiders noted that the defections have also created tensions in several states where long-standing party leaders are resistant to accommodating new power blocs. They warned that unresolved disputes during ward, local government, and state congresses could spill into court battles, potentially weakening the party’s electoral prospects.
The APC is also conducting an ongoing electronic registration and revalidation exercise to determine delegate strength ahead of congresses, which will shape the composition of the party’s National Working Committee at the March national convention.
Analysts said managing defecting governors and their supporters will be delicate, particularly in states where sitting APC governors, former governors, and entrenched party factions are engaged in succession battles. With less than two years to the 2027 polls, the APC leadership is reportedly keen to harmonize interests within the party and prevent internal fractures that could undermine its bid to retain power at both federal and state levels.
