Governors of the All Progressives Congress (APC) have launched a strategic effort to prevent aggrieved party members from aligning with a growing coalition of opposition forces.
The move is aimed at preserving the party’s unity and countering the rising influence of opposition figures ahead of the 2027 elections.
The opposition coalition, reportedly spearheaded by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi, is in advanced discussions to form a powerful alliance.
Sources indicate that they are actively reaching out to dissatisfied APC members to strengthen their bloc.
Among the disenchanted APC members are key allies of former President Muhammadu Buhari, particularly those from the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) faction.
One prominent member of the bloc, former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai, has already defected to the Social Democratic Party (SDP), signaling the possibility of a wider exodus.
Reports indicate that frustration with President Bola Tinubu’s leadership and party management has driven many APC members to consider joining the opposition coalition, with the SDP serving as the primary platform for their defection. This growing discontent threatens to fragment the APC ahead of the 2027 elections.
In response to the looming crisis, Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma, Chairman of the Progressives Governors Forum (PGF), led a delegation of APC governors to meet with former President Buhari in Kaduna.
Officially described as a courtesy visit to check on Buhari’s well-being, insiders reveal to this newspaper that the meeting was an urgent appeal for Buhari to dissuade his loyalists from defecting to the SDP.
The APC governors reportedly emphasized the damaging impact such defections could have on the party’s political standing, particularly with the opposition coalition gaining momentum.
The meeting also highlighted the conspicuous absence of Buhari and other key APC members from the party’s recent National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting in Abuja, which further underscored the internal discord within the party.
Observers attribute the growing rift to dissatisfaction with President Tinubu’s approach to governance and his perceived marginalization of certain factions or blocs in the APC.
Many of the aggrieved members feel alienated and are exploring alternative platforms to pursue their political ambitions.
The emerging opposition coalition, if successful, could significantly threaten the APC’s dominance ahead of the 2027 polls.
Combining the political influence of Atiku Abubakar, Peter Obi, and defectors from the APC, the coalition aims to challenge the ruling party’s grip on power.
The SDP, emerging as the coalition’s primary platform, is preparing to accommodate the influx of defectors.
Speaking on Sunday Politics on Channels Television, SDP Chairman Adewole Adebayo confirmed ongoing discussions with key political figures, including El-Rufai, Atiku, and Obi.
“All these people you have mentioned — El-Rufai, Atiku Abubakar, and even former Governor Peter Obi — are coming. A lot of people are coming, and we will welcome them,” Adebayo said.
He added, however, that new entrants must adapt to the SDP’s disciplined political culture. “The only little issue we have with some of them is changing the culture, especially if they have not been in an environment where rules are taken seriously. However, we welcome them into the party.”
According to Adebayo, the SDP is building a broad coalition capable of presenting a credible alternative to Nigerians.
“If they can stick to our culture and follow the way we do things in the SDP, and produce a good alternative for Nigerians, we are going to manifestly defeat the APC and retire President Tinubu to Lagos or wherever he chooses in Nigeria,” he concluded.