- Factions, legal battles grip party strongholds, party upbeat over crises in Lagos, Rivers, Benue, Bayelsa, others
Despite holding power at the centre and across 23 states, the ruling All Progressives Congress is battling widening cracks within its ranks as bitter factional struggles, allegations of imposition, and unresolved leadership tussles threaten to undermine its cohesion ahead of the 2027 general elections.
From Lagos to Rivers, Delta to Bayelsa, Benue and Akwa Ibom, multiple state chapters of the APC are in turmoil — forcing the party’s national leadership to step in amid fears that the internal wranglings could jeopardise its political dominance.
The APC has been grappling with internal divisions that threaten its stability ahead of the 2027 general elections.
This comes despite recent high-profile defections of influential opposition figures, including governors, into the ruling party’s fold.
Fresh concerns are emerging over the possible defection of long-time APC members, particularly loyalists from the defunct All Nigeria People’s Party and Congress for Progressive Change amid mounting power tussles in key states and pressure from a reenergised opposition coalition led by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.
The recent resignation of Abdullahi Ganduje as national chairman has only compounded the party’s leadership crisis, especially in Kano, where political tensions continue to rise. Meanwhile, factional battles have crippled APC chapters in states like Benue, Rivers, and Lagos.
There is also increasing speculation about a brewing rift between President Bola Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima, despite public attempts to present a united front, including the recent appointment of Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda as the new APC national chairman.
But APC Director of Publicity, Bala Ibrahim, stated that the ruling party was not experiencing crisis, adding that the situations in some states are normal and not beyond the party’s capacity to resolve through internal reconciliation.
Ibrahim added that the ruling party had strong machinery of party stalwarts that resolve internal party crisis.
Multiple sources told The PUNCH that influential members in the party have been reaching out to help resolve issues across the state chapters.
“We have members who have been talking to some of these factions, these are party bigwigs, call them kingmakers if you like, who are working to ensure that the party operates under a peaceful atmosphere ahead of 2027. They’ve been brokering peace across the party,” one of our sources said.
Amid the APC’s grip on Lagos State governance structures, the party is in a war with itself.
Earlier this year, the state House of Assembly, which has 39 APC members out of the 40-member legislative house, was embroiled in a deep leadership crisis, with some faction of lawmakers in the House removing the Speaker, Mudashiru Obasa, who was later returned to the seat following the intervention of the national leaders of the party, including President Bola Tinubu.
The crisis that rocked the assembly between January and March was believed to have a factional undertone as the party’s highest decision-making body, the Governance Advisory Council, could not resolve the crisis on its own.
In the Lagos APC, there are two camps, namely the Justice Forum and the Mandate.
Last week, some members of the APC in the state moved to sack the state party chairman, Cornelius Ojelabi, over unresolved issues since the party’s primaries in May – the period leading to the July 12 local government elections.
The members took to the state House of Assembly last Monday to protest against Ojelabi over alleged imposition and bias, and attempt to filter them out from the local council administration slots.
However, the chairman described the aggrieved members’ allegations as baseless.
He told The PUNCH “I am not bothered” by the protest of the aggrieved members, whom he said had no grassroots relevance.
A member of Governor’s Advisory Council, the powerful political machinery created by Tinubu, Chief Muraina Taiwo, backed the call for the chairman’s sacking saying Ojelabi was only loyal to a faction of the party in the state – the Justice Forum – sidelining the Mandate group and other factions.
“What I know is that party stalwarts are not happy with the party chairman, most especially. The opinion is that they believe he is a Justice Forum member, and he is not trying to balance things. It is obvious in his dealings that he belongs to a faction,” Taiwo stated.
“Out of all the 57 local governments, check, the whole council, all Justice Forum’s members, through the state chairman’s directive, took all the slots for councillors. If they don’t change before the 2027 elections, things will be worse.
“He does not have experience. It was with a fight that we (the Mandate group) took 20 slots for the chairman from them. So, if they want us to win the 2027 elections, they should remove that chairman.”
After the party’s LG primary in May, there were protests in several councils by aggrieved APC members who alleged the imposition of candidates for the LG poll.
One of the protesting groups in Agege, believed to be another faction known as the Presidential Campaign Council, locked horns with Speaker Obasa and his group over the results of the party’s primaries.
The spokesperson for the PCC, Adetunji Akinyemi, flanked by the group’s chairman, Sabitu Kamorudeen, alleged that “The political climate in Agege and Orile-Agege is uniquely troubling. For over a decade, a carefully orchestrated structure dominated by the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Obasa, has monopolised power.”
The crisis in the Lagos APC doesn’t seem to be ending soon, as the call for the sacking of the party’s chairman became loud just a day after local government chairmen, vice chairmen and councillors were sworn in by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu at the Lagos House in Ikeja.
Rivers crisis deepens
The primaries conducted by political parties to pick their candidates for the local government elections scheduled for August 30 by the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission has deepened the crisis rocking the APC in the state.
The problems bedeviling the main opposition party in the state had yet to simmer down since the 2023 general elections, when former Minister of Transport, Rotimi Amaechi, lost the party’s presidential ticket to incumbent President Tinubu, when the emergence of Chief Tony Okocha as the party chairman created two factions.
The other faction, loyal to Amaechi, is headed by Emeke Beke, who was the authentic chairman until the National Working Committee of the APC last year suspended the Beke-led state executive over alleged anti-party activities and consequently recognised Okocha as its state chairman.
But Beke challenged his suspension and was reinstated by the state High Court in a case presided over by Justice Sike Aprioku in 2024.
But despite the High Court ruling, the APC national executive has continued to recognise Okocha as the state chairman of the party, thus inviting him to its party activities and meetings.
Last week, Beke visited the new APC National Chairman, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, in Abuja to inform him that Okocha still paraded himself as Rivers APC chairman despite the court ruling. Beke, during the visit, restated his loyalty to the party, saying he worked for the party and would remain in its fold.
But barely a week after Beke’s visit, the APC National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, in a statement, said Okocha remained the Rivers APC chairman.
The statement, dated August 2, 2025 and titled ‘Tony Okocha is and remains the state chairman of Rivers APC’, read, “The attention of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has been drawn to media reports of a claim by Mr Emeka Beke to the chairmanship of the Rivers State chapter of our party.
“We wish to clarify for the records that Chief Tony Okocha is, and remains, the Chairman of the Rivers State chapter of our party.
“We urge our teeming members in the state, and the general public, to disregard the said reports or reference to Mr Beke as state chairman of Rivers APC as false and misleading.”
Meanwhile, Beke flayed the action of its National Secretariat and accused the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, for capitalising on his closeness to the President to weaken the party in the state.
Speaking with The PUNCH on Sunday through his Chief of Staff, Chizi Enyi, Beke alleged that during the primary election held on Saturday ahead of the August 30 local government elections, Wike once again used his influence to control both the APC and PDP in the state, ensuring the emergence of his loyalists as candidates.
He stated, “The much crisis we know of is the anti-party activities going on where the FCT minister, through the instrumentality of the Federal Government, uses the APC as his surrogate by bringing in both the APC and PDP to be together, to bring one candidate in almost all the primaries.
“Now, in several local governments, particularly in Ikwerre Local Government and some others, those who said they emerged as chairmanship candidates and councilors are all members of the PDP. Everybody knows in Ikwerre LGA that Charles Wobodo was chairman of the party in Ikwerre LGA and leader of his ward.
“Today he is the chairmanship candidate of the faction they said they are working with, the same thing in Khana, Gokana and several LGAs in the state. To be very precise, they are using the Renewed Hope Agenda and are no longer a political party.
“And the national secretariat always recognises Tony Okocha, sending him invitations and all that for party activities instead of Emeke Beke, who was duly elected. And when they attempted to remove him, the court voided it as decided by Justice Sike Aprioku.
“How can APC and PDP attend one primary to produce one candidate? And it has been done and it’s very unfortunate,” he lamented.
Asked if the Beke-led APC was considering dumping the party following its mistreatment by the national, he responded in the negative, at least for the moment.
“No, we are not leaving the party. As of now we have not made any decision to leave the party. But like the current local government election that they have just fixed for August 30, I’m in court against the State Administrator, Ibok-Ete Ibas. One other Non-Governmental Organization, Initiative for Transparent Strategy is also in Court against Ibas.”
No factions – Okocha
In a swift reaction, spokesman of the Okocha-led APC, Chibike Ikenga, said there was no faction in Rivers APC, insisting that Okocha remained the chairman of the party in the state.
Ikenga stated, “Firstly, there is nothing like Emeke Beke-led APC. There is no APC like that in Rivers State. Are you saying you have not seen the press release by the National Publicity Secretary of the APC as of yesterday (Saturday)?”
He went down memory lane on how the Abdullahi Ganduje-led APC National Secretariat suspended the Beke-led state executive and appointed a caretaker committee in the state led by Okocha, adding that a congress was subsequently conducted where Okocha was elected as substantive chairman of the state alongside other state executive members.
“The last time I checked, Emeke Beke does not lead any APC. His executive was validly dissolved based on anti-party activities against Bola Tinubu, then presidential candidate of the APC, in the build up to the 2023 general elections.
“And then a new congress was conducted where Chief Okocha and a few of us emerged as the substantive state executive committee of the party and State Working Committee accordingly, “ Ikenga explained.
On the allegations Saturday’s election primary was not free and fair, he dismissed the claim as untrue.
“The conduct of the primary in selecting councillors and chairmanship candidates for the APC in Rivers State took place yesterday (Saturday) successfully without rancour and the candidates have all emerged and are ready for campaigns now, which will culminate in the elections that will hold on August 30.
“No issues at all and as APC we are very happy about how the events went. Mind you, the State Executive Committee led by Chief Okocha and a few of us do not have powers to conduct congresses or primaries.
“It is the responsibility of the National Working Committee. And indeed the National Working Committee did conduct and then we were also there, we saw them. We gave them the support they required from the state here. That’s where we are.”
On claims of factions in the state APC, Ikenga said, “Not at all. We do not have any faction of APC in Rivers State. Chief Okocha is the validly elected chairman of the party in the state, which has a few of us as members of the state executive.”
Akume, Alia battle
in Benue, the future of the party hangs in the balance as there have been no moves by the factions to implement the reconciliation process proposed by President Bola Tinubu.
The ruling APC has been factionalised between Governor Hyacinth Alia and the Secretary to the Government of The Federation, Senator George Akume.
The division in the party has thrown up two parallel leaderships: the Unity Caretaker Committee headed by Benjamin Omale and loyal to the state governor and the Austin Agada-led State Working Committee loyal to the SGF.
Several interventions had been made to unite the governor and his political godfather, Akume, but none has yielded results, including the recent idea of reconciliation President Tinubu sold to the governor.
Tinubu, during his condolence visit to the state following the massacre of about 200 people in Yelwata in June, lectured Governor Alia on party conflict resolution.
But close to six weeks after, nothing has been done, except the impromptu visit the governor paid Akume in his Abuja residence few days after the visit of the President.
The caretaker chairman of the party in the state, Benjamin Omale, described the governor’s visit to Akume as a good move towards the expected reconciliation, claiming that his committee was the recognised leadership in the state.
“We are getting united, stronger and very much on ground in the state,” he said. “You know that the governor, in his humility, paid a visit to the SGF recently and during the visit of the First Lady to the state last week, the wife of the SGF, Mrs Regina Akume, was at the Government House. This is a clear indication that the reconciliation is progressing.”
But the Publicity Secretary of Agada-led state working committee, Daniel Ihomun, said there was nothing on ground to suggest that the governor was committed to reconciliation.
Ihomun said the Agada-led State Working Committee held the key of the party in the state following the judgment of the state High Court, which nullified the caretaker committee.
He added, “There has been no judgment vacating the judgment of the state High Court that nullified the caretaker committee.
“The so-called visit of the governor (to Akume) was just a camouflage because since then, everything has remained as it is, no caucus or stakeholders meeting has been held.”
While debunking the insinuation that the visit of the wife of the SGF, Mrs Regina Akume, to Government House, during the visit of the First Lady last week was orchestrated by the state government, Ihomun said Mrs Akume was on the entourage of Senator Oluremi Tinubu.
Rumours have it that the two immediate past governors of the state, Samuel Ortom and his predecessor, Gabriel Suswam, have also pitched their tents behind the factional leaders.
While Ortom, leader of the Peoples Democratic Party in the state is allegedly a strong supporter of the SGF, Suswam, who now leads the African Democratic Congress in the state, is reportedly strongly behind Governor Alia.
Old vs New
In Akwa Ibom State, crisis is brewing between the new members of the APC and the old members of the party, The PUNCH learnt.
A chieftain of the party, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he wasn’t authorised to speak on the issue, warned that if the governor went ahead with his decision to give automatic tickets to those who defected with him, there would be serious crisis in the state.
He said, “We have two blocs in APC in Akwa Ibom State – the old bloc and the new bloc. The old bloc is those who have been in the party before the defection while the new bloc is those who defected with the Governor to the party recently.
‘’The Governor at one time was saying that all those who defected with him will have automatic tickets; if this happens there will be crisis in the state.
‘’It therefore means that the old members of the party, who are nursing ambitions to contest under the platform of the party would have been left in the cold. Nobody will want that because if you do that you are creating crisis already and those who are old members of the party will have to leave for another political party and that would have left the party divided
‘’We have been told that what happened is a merger not acquisition but the new members who defected with the governor are actually doing acquisition in the sense that they do not see any member of the old bloc worthy of occupying positions.
‘’For instance, in the forthcoming party congresses, they are planning to take everything. And if this happens there will be massive defection from the party.”
Bayelsa APC affected
The Bayelsa State chapter of the APC is reportedly embroiled in internal crisis, following a reported rift with the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Senator Heineken Lokpobiri.
Tensions escalated last year when several local government chapters of the party suspended Lokpobiri, along with former Speaker of the Bayelsa State House of Assembly, Werinipre Seibarugu, and two members of Governor Douye Diri’s cabinet. The suspensions were linked to alleged anti-party activities and drew criticisms from within the party.
The cabinet appointees had been included in Diri’s administration as part of a political inclusivity policy, further complicating the intra-party dynamics.
Amid the fallout, a party chieftain, Osom Blackson, threatened legal action, accusing the state executive of acting in defiance of a court ruling that declared the congress, which brought the current leadership into power, as illegal.
In a bid to douse tensions, the APC State Working Committee resolved to place the suspensions in abeyance, citing the need for broader consultations. However, the affected local government chapters rejected the move and proceeded to court to challenge the committee’s decision.
At the heart of the crisis lies a growing leadership dispute. While some party members insist that Lokpobiri, as the highest-ranking political officeholder in the state, should lead the party, others maintain that the position rightfully belongs to former governor and Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva.
This power tussle has deepened the divide between the two camps.
Efforts to obtain official responses were unsuccessful. State APC chairman, Dr. Dennis Otiotio, did not respond to inquiries, while both the party’s publicity secretary, Doifie Buokoribo, and his assistant, Coronation Tukpo, were unreachable.
Delta’s uneasy calm
Tensions remain high within the Delta State chapter of the party following the April 2025 defection of Governor Sheriff Oborevwori and key members of the Peoples Democratic Party into the APC.
While the high-profile crossover was initially welcomed with public enthusiasm, political observers say it has created serious internal discontent — particularly for Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, the party’s 2023 governorship candidate, whose long-held dominance in the state APC now appears under threat.
Omo-Agege, a former Deputy Senate President, had previously rejected overtures from Oborevwori, but in the wake of the defection, issued a statement urging party members to embrace the new entrants. He assured stakeholders that the APC national leadership was handling the political realignment “with prudence and foresight” to protect the party’s long-term interests in the state.
“With unity, understanding, and a shared commitment to Delta’s progress, we can navigate these challenges,” Omo-Agege stated.
However, the ground reality suggests mounting unease. Oborevwori’s entrance into the party has significantly altered the power dynamics, positioning him as the de facto leader of the APC in Delta — displacing Omo-Agege in both perception and influence.
Signs of internal resistance emerged last week when a group believed to be loyal to Omo-Agege — under the banner of the Coalition of Deeply Concerned APC Stakeholders in Delta State — wrote an open letter to President Tinubu. The group warned that the party’s unity and the President’s “Renewed Hope” agenda were at risk in the state.
Led by Chief Emma Ejiofor, the coalition criticised the handling of the defections, describing it as lacking transparency and undermining years of party-building efforts.
“The integration of former PDP elements, without meaningful consultation, feels less like strategic addition and more like a hostile takeover,” the coalition wrote. “It sends a message that loyalty and dedication to the APC are expendable.”
The group raised several concerns, including erosion of trust due to sidelining of long-standing members, violation of party rules, particularly regarding the status of unregistered entrants, growing factionalism stoked by rhetoric from new political players and damage to President Tinubu’s legacy as a party unifier.
Calling for urgent intervention, the coalition urged the President to order a review of the integration process, ensure compliance with the APC constitution, and prioritise the inclusion of core party loyalists.
“This crisis is not limited to Delta,” they warned. “It sets a dangerous precedent that threatens the integrity of the APC across the nation.”
Angry CPC faithful?
The death of former President Muhammadu Buhari has left a significant leadership void within the CPC bloc and northern support base. In the absence of Buhari’s unifying influence, political observers warn that his loyalists may splinter, weakening the party’s grip on its traditional strongholds in the North.
But APC chieftain and former Minister of Communication, Prof Adebayo Shittu, revealed that members of the CPC bloc remained committed to the APC and for Tinubu’s 2027 re-election.
He stated, “What is the percentage of the CPC bloc that is leaving APC? The major CPC bloc are in the APC working for President Tinubu’s re-election.
“Those few people are the ones who enjoyed the Buhari administration the most. And now that they’ve lost out, they are the ones making noise about leaving APC. APC remains solid, indestructible. In any case, more PDP elements are coming into APC than the so-called CPC bloc. When people talk of the CPC bloc, they talk as if CPC still exists. If you have yam, you cook the yam to be eaten. Once it’s eaten, do you still have yam in existence? No, you don’t. Well, that means CPC is no longer in existence. CPC is now APC.
“Who was more CPC than me, when CPC thrived? I was the governorship candidate of the party, and I pulled the highest number of votes for CPC in the whole of southern Nigeria. Yes. I mean, who can compete with me in that? In the whole of the 17 states, I pulled the highest votes in 2011 for CPC.”
The former minister dismissed any threat to the peace within the APC and expressed confidence that the party will build on its achievements.
He added, “There is no threat. There is no threat, by the grace of God. We are praying God continues to guide our President. And he has improved on the performances of previous Presidents. He has brought intelligence into governance — new innovative practices and so on.
“Even the founder of defunct CPC, till death supported APC. They are just making noise, we are solidly behind the President and we will support him for 2027 elections.”
Shittu also voiced confidence that Vice President Kashim Shettima would be retained as President Tinubu’s running mate in 2027, describing him as a highly intelligent politician.
He stated, “There are people who are supposedly putting pressure on the President to change the Vice President and take somebody else from the Northwestern part of the country. I mean, to be fair to the Vice President, the level of his intelligence, the level of his representation of his principal in all of his assignments — is unprecedented.
“I have confidence that President Tinubu will re-select him. So, I mean, what we need now is not a procedural war between parties. What we need is stability and consolidation of the President’s performance. A lot of things went wrong before the current government came on board. And for once, we need patience and collective prayer so that Nigeria can make progress.”
APC Director of Publicity, Bala Ibrahim, said the party had bigwigs capable of solving issues across state chapters.
“That is why it is a political arrangement. You have people with sometimes competing and conflicting interests, but they will sit down at the table with a view to reconciliation and harmonising these interests,” he said.
“It doesn’t mean that if there is a leadership crisis in a state, the party is totally in conflict or in crisis. No, these are temporary disunities that will be resolved within a short period of time, and the party has an internal conflicts management mechanism that addresses all these challenges. So, as we speak, the APC is not in any crisis. It is not in any crisis that is beyond management.
“The party remains united, which is why it continues to attract new members. Under the leadership of President Bola Tinubu, it is effectively implementing the Renewed Hope Agenda.”
Speaking on the defunct CPC bloc, Ibrahim said they remained solidly within the APC and fully supporting President Tinubu.
He stated, “You mentioned Al-Makura, but has Al-Makura left the party? As a matter of fact, Al-Makura has sent in his congratulatory message to the winner, which means Al-Makura is a good sportsman and a loyal member of the party.
“The other people you mentioned that left earlier are inconsequential. So, in fact, to the party, it’s a pleasure missing them. Babachir (Lawal) is a politician of no value. As far as the APC is concerned, all those people you mentioned are not people that constitute any value to the party. It is good that they left.
“But for Al-Makura, who is a very relevant member of the party and the pillar of the CPC — he was the only governor the CPC had, and he was the only governor that lost — and he conceded defeat, not just the first time, but because he’s a gentleman that believes in the principles and policies of the party, he has never protested against the process that produced the winner.
“Of course, he is the rallying block of the CPC bloc. So, if he’s in the party, it means the party is intact, and the support from the CPC for APC and President Tinubu is intact.”
In a related development, political analyst Jide Ojo warned that the APC should not underestimate the PDP and the opposition coalition, African Democratic Congress.
Ojo, in an exclusive interview with our correspondent, noted that more influential politicians were joining the APC, suggesting that the ruling party may avoid the kind of setbacks the PDP experienced in 2015.
He stated, “Well, nothing is impossible in politics, but what you need to understand is that you cannot tie everybody down in a party as big as APC today. The political party system is free entry and free exit. As much as some few individuals, political heavyweights, have left, there have been more coming in than those who are leaving.
“No governor has left the APC now for any other party. APC has 23 today. About three of these were defectors from other parties. So it is not looking like a re occurrence of what happened to PDP in 2015.
“I think that no party should be belittled or disregarded or waved aside, but I have not yet seen that scenario you’re trying to paint. In 2014, we saw the migration of about five governors that left the PDP convention ground at Eagle Square. The coalition now is not a coalition of parties; it’s a coalition of individuals. All the known names you can point to who are members of that party are former this, former that.
“So, you know, you cannot stop people from migrating. I am not saying the APC is a party of saints or that it has no issues. But, the 2027 is going to be different from 2015.”
Edo, Gombe
While internal rifts and factional tensions persist in some chapters of the APC, the party in Edo and Gombe states presents a contrasting image of cohesion, growth, and political momentum.
In Edo State, the APC has recently welcomed a wave of defections from opposition parties, significantly consolidating its influence in the state legislature.
Last week, two members of the Edo State House of Assembly defected to the APC, bringing the party’s total representation to 20 lawmakers — leaving the PDP with just four.
Even more notably, the Speaker of the House, Blessing Agbebaku, also joined the APC and retained his position. He has since become actively involved in leading the party’s campaign efforts ahead of the crucial August 16 by-elections, particularly in Edo North.
State APC chairman, Jarrett Tenebe, hailed the development as a testament to the party’s growing appeal and alignment with the people’s aspirations.
“There is no old or new membership in the APC. We are one family,” Tenebe stated. “The coming of new members into the party is a reinforcement of what we stand for.”
He emphasised the importance of unity, discipline, and shared purpose as the foundation of the party’s strength and urged continued support for Governor Monday Okpebholo’s administration.
Similarly, in Gombe State, party leaders dismissed recent rumours suggesting cracks within the state chapter of the APC, particularly in the wake of Vice President Kashim Shettima’s visit.
Sabo Zanna, a prominent party chieftain, said such reports were “unfounded and mischievous.”
“There is no rift in Gombe APC, none whatsoever,” he said. “Those peddling stories of division are either ill-informed or deliberately trying to sow discord where none exists.”
Zanna stressed that the state chapter remained firmly united behind both President Tinubu and Vice President Shettima, adding that every segment of the party, from ward to state level, was committed to supporting the administration’s success and preparing strategically for future elections.
He urged party loyalists to ignore what he called “media noise” and continue working towards strengthening internal cohesion and delivering good governance.
The Punch
