There are indications that a new crisis is brewing in the All Progressives Congress (APC) as some aggrieved governors are said to be pushing for the removal of Professor Nentawe Yilwatda as the party’s National Chairman ahead of the 2027 elections.
There is a plot to remove Yilwatda from office masterminded by five aggrieved APC Governors over the conduct and outcome of the party’s primaries for the 2027 elections, according to reports.
Leadership reports that the Governors include two from the Southwest, two from the Northcentral and one from the Southsouth.
But the reports have it that one of the Southwest Governors is spearheading the plot to remove Yilwatda from office and replace him ahead of 2027 elections.
According to top party sources quoted in the report, it was learnt that the Governors are angry with the national chairman over his refusal to do their bidding during the recently concluded National Assembly primaries conducted by the APC across the country.
It was gathered that they are not pleased with the demand by Yilwatda that all results must be properly scrutinised by the National Working Committee (NWC) before final ratification and official announcement at the party’s national secretariat in Abuja.
I Did Not Commit the Crime
But Yilwatda, through his Special Adviser on Media and Information Strategy, Abimbola Tooki, said that all decisions on the process for the primaries were taken with the collective agreement of all stakeholders in the party.
“The primaries and the proclamation of the final results were conducted based on the agreed procedure,” he said.
On the development, the chairman of the Progressives Governors’ Forum, PGF, and Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodimma, who spoke through his Chief Press Secretary, Oguwike Nwachuku, said he was not in a position to speak for the PGF.
But party insiders told our correspondent that the APC 2026 Primary Election Guidelines clearly stated that election committees should collate results at the constituency and senatorial district levels before forwarding them to the party’s national headquarters for verification and ratification by the NWC.
But many governors reportedly ignored the provision and allegedly pushed for the collation of results and declaration of winners straight from their respective state capitals.
APC Leadership Stance
A source in the APC National Secretariat in Abuja who craved anonymity, said the party leadership was aware of the alleged plot against the chairman.
Some of the governors had sought to buy the forms of their preferred candidates ahead of the party primaries, the source claimed.
But he stated that Yilwatda did not succumb to their demands or force candidates on them.
He said: “The first intention of these governors was to put pressure on members of the NWC to sell the party’s Expression of Interest and Nomination Forms to only aspirants whose names they sent to the national headquarters. They were prepared to invest one billion naira each.
But it was the national chairman who upset the plan and insisted that all aspirants must be given equal opportunity to get the party forms. This was regarded as his first offence against the governors.
“The second problem was his refusal to allow governors to individually appoint all the members of the election committees and appeal panels that were sent to their states. “If the governors could select all committee members, it would have been easier for them to install their favourite candidates and influence the reports to back their actions.
The Tinubu Effect
The source said the refusal of Yilwatda to play their game was a big red flag for some of the Governors hence the push to replace him ahead of the 2027 general elections.
He however said the aggrieved Governors have not been able to convince President Bola Tinubu on their stance thus slowing down their moves.
“These governors have been meeting regularly over this plot and we are also aware of the role being played by a South-West governor. They are already spreading propaganda against the national chairman, saying he is “inexperienced and nepotistic” and it would be risky for the party to let him run its affairs before the 2027 polls.
“But their biggest challenge is how to get the support of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for their mission. “I doubt if they can convince him because he is a man that allowed governors to choose their candidates for the state assemblies without interference from the National Secretariat,” he said.
Go To Appeal
For his part, the Special Adviser to the APC Chairman on Media and Information Strategy, Abimbola Tooki said the party has laid down procedures to address grievances.
And he dismissed reports of a gang against Yilwatda.
There is no such thing as anger anywhere. All decisions regarding the primary elections were taken with the collective agreement of all stakeholders in the party.
“There is no better way than not letting governors decide the outcome of the primaries.
“Results can be collected and announced at local government and state levels, but no candidate should be formally declared winner at that stage. This is because there are some aspirants who may like to exercise their constitutional right to appeal through petition to the committee for appeal.
“The NWC can only make a final declaration of winner after such appeals are received, thoroughly scrutinised and considered on their merit by the National Working Committee of the party. “That is the proper order to the official declaration of a winner,” he said.
Yilwatda took over as the APC National Chairman after his predecessor, Abdullahi Ganduje, stepped down on health grounds in June 2025.
It is believed he has the backing of President Tinubu for the position.
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