APC Cracks Widen: How Aggrieved Heavyweights Are Quietly Moving Their Structures to the Opposition

The All Progressives Congress (APC) is facing an increasingly difficult battle to contain the fallout from its 2026 primary elections, with defections, court cases and internal disputes spreading across several states ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Nearly four months after the primaries, efforts by the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) to reconcile aggrieved aspirants appear to have made limited progress in some of the states worst affected by the crisis.

Shortly after the primaries, the APC leadership set up reconciliation committees and sent peace missions to troubled states in an attempt to calm frayed nerves. However, the interventions have failed to completely stop some influential politicians and their supporters from abandoning the party or seeking legal redress.

For many of the aggrieved politicians, the path back to political relevance within the APC appears increasingly narrow, leaving litigation and defection as the most attractive options.

At the centre of the dispute is the amended Electoral Act, which has reduced some of the political flexibility previously available to parties after contentious primaries.

In earlier election cycles, defeated aspirants could sometimes be placated through consensus arrangements, deputy positions and other political compromises. But that room for manoeuvre has become considerably smaller.

The consequences could be significant for the APC because several of those involved are not ordinary party members. They control established grassroots networks, loyal supporters and political structures capable of influencing election results.

Their exit could therefore go beyond reducing the party’s membership. It could threaten governorship and National Assembly contests and, in closely fought states, complicate APC’s wider calculations for the 2027 presidential election.

The Defections Begin

The cracks are already becoming visible in several states.

In Nasarawa, former Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu Abubakar, reportedly left the APC for the Social Democratic Party (SDP) after losing the governorship primary.

In Kwara, Senator Saliu Mustapha moved to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) after being excluded from both the governorship and senatorial contests, reportedly taking his political structure along with him.

The crisis also hit Bauchi, where Senator Shehu Umar Buba left the APC following his defeat in the governorship primary. APC Deputy State Chairman Ibrahim Misau, alongside some ward and local government officials, subsequently joined the exodus.

In Cross River, federal lawmaker Alex Egbona defected from the APC to the PDP as he seeks another term in the House of Representatives.

Osun and Ondo Face Fresh Battles

In Osun State, the situation remains unsettled. Senator Iyiola Omisore has reportedly rejected reconciliation overtures after being screened out of the governorship primary, while about 20 of his loyalists have defected to Accord.

In Ondo, the disagreement has escalated into legal battles, with aspirants linked to Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa challenging the outcome of some APC primaries in court.

One of the cases involves Pastor Akingboye Akinleke David, who 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 if the disagreements persist, APC could find itself vulnerable in affected constituencies, potentially creating an opening for opposition parties.

A Bigger Problem for APC?

Party insiders have privately acknowledged that what initially appeared to be isolated post-primary grievances is beginning to look like a wider pattern.

Despite ongoing reconciliation efforts, several disputes remain unresolved, while multiple lawsuits challenging primary outcomes are still pending.

The longer the disputes drag on, the greater the uncertainty surrounding some APC candidates as the country moves toward the 2027 election season.

And there is an uncomfortable twist for the ruling party.

The APC’s own rise to national prominence was significantly boosted by defections from rival parties. Now, more than a decade later, the same political weapon that helped propel APC to power is increasingly being turned against it.

The big question is whether the party can reconcile its aggrieved heavyweights before their political structures become a serious threat to its 2027 ambitions.