- Fresh Crisis Rocks APC As Governors Plot Yilwatda’s Removal
- Governors reportedly angry over APC primary election procedures and outcomes
- Party chairman accused of blocking alleged candidate imposition attempts
A fresh crisis may be brewing within the All Progressives Congress (APC) as some aggrieved governors are reportedly pushing for the removal of the party’s National Chairman, Professor Nentawe Yilwatda, ahead of the 2027 general elections.
According to reports, five APC governors are behind the alleged plot following disagreements over the conduct and outcome of the party’s recent primaries for the 2027 elections.
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EKO HOT BLOG reports that the governors are said to include two from the South-West, two from the North-Central, and one from the South-South geopolitical zones.
According to Leadership, one of the South-West governors is reportedly leading the move to remove Yilwatda and replace him before the 2027 polls.
Party sources quoted in the report claimed the governors became dissatisfied with the national chairman after he allegedly refused to yield to pressure during the recently concluded National Assembly primaries conducted across the country.
The governors were reportedly displeased with Yilwatda’s insistence that all results must pass through proper scrutiny by the National Working Committee (NWC) before final ratification and official announcement at the party’s national secretariat in Abuja.
‘All Decisions Were Collectively Agreed’
Reacting to the allegations, Yilwatda, through his Special Adviser on Media and Information Strategy, Abimbola Tooki, maintained that all decisions regarding the primaries were reached collectively by stakeholders within the party.
He insisted that the agreed procedures were strictly followed during the conduct of the primaries and declaration of results.
Meanwhile, the Chairman of the Progressives Governors’ Forum (PGF) and Governor of Imo State, Hope Uzodimma, through his Chief Press Secretary, Oguwike Nwachuku, said he was not in a position to speak on behalf of the forum.
However, insiders within the party maintained that the APC 2026 Primary Election Guidelines clearly directed election committees to collate results at constituency and senatorial district levels before forwarding them to the national headquarters for verification and ratification by the NWC.
Despite the guideline, some governors reportedly pushed for results to be collated and winners announced directly from their respective state capitals.
Alleged Pressure On NWC
A source at the APC National Secretariat in Abuja, who spoke anonymously, confirmed that the party leadership was aware of the alleged plot against Yilwatda.
The source alleged that some governors attempted to influence the process by controlling the sale of nomination forms and composition of election committees in their states.
He said, “The first intention of these governors was to pressure members of the NWC into selling the party’s Expression of Interest and Nomination Forms only to aspirants whose names they forwarded to the national headquarters. They were ready to contribute one billion naira each.
“However, it was the national chairman who thwarted the plan and insisted that every aspirant must be given equal access to obtain the party forms. That was regarded as his first offence against the governors.
“The second issue was his refusal to allow governors to single-handedly nominate all members of the election committees and appeal panels deployed to their states. If governors were allowed to handpick all committee members, it would have become easier to impose their preferred candidates and influence the reports to back their actions.”
Tinubu Yet To Be Convinced
The source added that Yilwatda’s refusal to compromise was viewed as a major obstacle by some governors, leading to renewed efforts to remove him before the 2027 elections.
However, the source noted that the governors have allegedly struggled to secure the support of President Bola Tinubu for the move.
“These governors are 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, claiming that he is inexperienced and nepotistic and that it would be risky for the party to allow him to manage its affairs ahead of the 2027 polls.
“However, their major obstacle is how to convince President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to support their mission. I doubt if they can convince him because he is a man who allowed governors to decide their candidates for the state assemblies without interference from the National Secretariat,” the source said.
