Fresh tensions have erupted in the All Progressives Congress (APC) as allegations surface that five states could be sidelined from full participation in the party’s upcoming primaries and presidential convention due to unresolved disputes over the status of some deputy national officers.
The controversy centres on claims that a directive from President Bola Tinubu to include all deputy national officers in the National Working Committee (NWC) has not been fully implemented.
Party sources say only some deputies have been recognised, while others remain excluded, reviving old grievances among stakeholders who insist on equal status under the APC constitution.
The affected states are reportedly Akwa Ibom, Kwara, Ekiti, Cross River, and Zamfara, with concerns that their representatives’ marginalisation could weaken their role in key party activities ahead of the 2027 general elections.
A former party official, speaking anonymously, described the issue as a lingering structural problem carried over from previous administrations, with some individuals allegedly blocked from returning to office.
The development comes barely a month after the inauguration of the new national executives led by Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, raising fears that internal rifts could undermine party cohesion.
Separately, the Senate has dismissed rumours of a strained relationship with the Presidency over reports that President Tinubu refused to guarantee automatic tickets for returning lawmakers.
Senate spokesman Senator Yemi Adaramodu described such speculations as “mere imagination” and the work of detractors, insisting that legislative-executive collaboration remains strong.
However, many lawmakers’ hopes for automatic return tickets suffered a setback after President Tinubu, at a closed-door meeting with Senate leadership, empowered state governors to control the primary process in their states either through consensus or direct elections.
This was reaffirmed during a subsequent meeting with APC governors, with Niger State Governor Mohammed Bago confirming the directive.
APC National Chairman Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda had earlier ruled out automatic tickets, stressing that the party constitution makes no such provision and that candidate selection would be based on performance rather than incumbency.
The situation has heightened anxiety among some federal lawmakers, especially those with poor relations with their governors, as political realignments intensify ahead of the May 18 Senate primaries.
Significant turnover in the National Assembly is now a real possibility.
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