Anti-party Fears: APC Shuns Aggrieved Govs, Asks Candidates To Pick Agents

…We are not aware, party reacts

As part of efforts to prevent possible sabotage during the 2027 general elections, indications have emerged that the National Working Committee of the All Progressives Congress (APC) may have directed some of its candidates to submit the names of their proposed party agents directly to the national secretariat.

The move represents a departure from the party’s usual practice, under which state chapters are responsible for compiling and submitting the names of party agents to the national secretariat in Abuja.

It was reliably gathered that the APC NWC adopted the strategy to forestall any alleged plot to undermine the party’s candidates on election day.

However, when asked about the development, the APC Director of Publicity, Bala Ibrahim, simply said, “I am not aware.”

A source told LEADERSHIP that the arrangement was being applied mainly in states where the NWC suspected that some governors were sponsoring candidates on the platforms of other political parties against APC candidates.

It will be recalled that a South-West group, the Oodua Progressive Youths League (OPYL), had alleged that some governors whose preferred aspirants lost the party’s National Assembly primaries directed them to seek tickets from opposition parties and contest against APC candidates in 2027.

According to a statement signed by the group’s General Secretary, Wale Abdulwaheed, the governors had also allegedly reached agreements with some opposition parties on the selection of polling agents for the elections.

The statement further alleged that the affected governors had directed candidates they sponsored on opposition platforms to nominate their loyalists, who remained members of the APC, as agents for the ruling party.

The group claimed that the names of the agents would subsequently be submitted to the APC national secretariat in Abuja as the party’s officially recognised agents in their respective states.

A member of the National Assembly from Ondo State, who is also an APC candidate for the 2027 elections, confirmed the development but requested anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter.

The lawmaker said the APC NWC had bypassed the Ondo State governor and directed candidates to submit the names of their agents directly to the national secretariat. The forms for the agents are already with the candidates.

“The National body instructed the State Chairman to give us our forms directly and the chairman himself alluded that he was under instruction not to hand over the agents’ forms to anyone except the candidates. He confirmed that Ondo State was specifically told to follow that route,” the source said.

He added that the party’s national leadership was monitoring the activities of APC governors across the country and might adopt a similar approach when disbursing election funds.

According to him, the NWC could also bypass governors suspected of sponsoring opposition candidates and channel election funds directly to APC candidates in their states to prevent possible sabotage.

“It is not hidden that Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa directed some of the aspirants who contested the APC primaries but lost to seek tickets on other political platforms and contest against the party’s candidates.

“The evidence is there. We all saw some of his political appointees, including party executive members, at the declaration of Hon. Matthew Oyerinmade (MATO) for the PDP, the platform on which he has now emerged as the party’s candidate for the Ondo South Senatorial District.

“We also know that the governor is the financier of Prince Idowu Mafimisebi, who is contesting for the Ilaje/Ese-Odo Federal Constituency seat on the PDP platform.

“Recently, when Hon. Tajudeen Adefisoye, popularly known as Small Alhaji, who is now the Social Democratic Party (SDP) candidate for the Idanre/Ifedore Federal Constituency, held a rally in Idanre Local Government Area, the majority of the SSAs and SAs recently appointed by the governor from the area were physically present.

“So, how do you expect the party to trust such a governor to work for its success in the 2027 general elections?”

Governor Aiyedatiwa has, however, denied directing any aspirant or candidate to contest against APC candidates on the platform of another political party.

He described those accusing him of anti-party activities as “naysayers, blackmailers and slanderers.”

The governor said, “I have zero tolerance for anti-party activities. I have never engaged in anti-party activities in my life.”