APC screening crisis deepens as protests, defections trail 2027 preparations

By Adebola Isimijola, Lagos

Cracks within the ruling All Progressives Congress are widening ahead of the 2027 general elections as controversies surrounding the party’s screening exercises continue to trigger protests, defections, petitions and threats of litigation across several states.

What began as an internal mechanism aimed at streamlining aspirants for legislative and other elective offices has rapidly evolved into a major test of the party’s internal democracy, exposing deep divisions among stakeholders, aspirants and grassroots loyalists.

The latest wave of discontent comes barely days after leaders of the APC in Lagos State assured members that the screening process would be transparent and credible.

Speaking after the Lagos House of Assembly screening exercise, where 184 aspirants battled for the party’s tickets across the 40 Assembly constituencies in the state, the Acting Chairman of the Local Organising Committee, Chief Olajide Adams, insisted that the party had no preferred aspirants and that fairness guided the process.

According to him, the APC Appeal Committee had already arrived in Lagos to entertain grievances arising from the screening exercise.

“They are already in Lagos, waiting for this committee to finish their job. Once the report is ready, whoever feels dissatisfied will write to the APC,” Adams said.

He described the exercise as orderly, noting that aspirants were evaluated based on credentials, voter registration, party membership and political experience.

“All we want to do is be fair and transparent to everyone whose intention is to represent the party. APC Lagos State has no anointed candidates,” he added.

Adams also urged aggrieved aspirants to explore the party’s internal dispute resolution channels instead of escalating tensions.

“APC is one family. If you contest primaries and you don’t win, you must accept the will of the people and re-evaluate yourself,” he said.

He further expressed confidence in the party’s chances ahead of the 2027 elections, maintaining that lessons had been learnt from previous electoral experiences and internal shortcomings.

“We are so sure and confident that by the time the general elections come, we will sweep the state. APC is dynamic, and we have addressed areas where we did not measure up before,” Adams stated.

Despite the reassurance from Lagos, developments across several states have painted a more turbulent picture, with accusations of manipulation, imposition and selective disqualification threatening party cohesion.

Findings showed that the controversies have been most intense in states such as Kano State, Taraba State, Kaduna State, Rivers State, Jigawa State, Benue State, Plateau State, Ebonyi State and Kogi State, where many aspirants alleged that screening exercises were manipulated to favour politically connected candidates under the guise of consensus arrangements.

In Jigawa, former Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Isah Idris, resigned from the APC after reportedly failing to secure clearance during screening.

Idris, in his resignation letter, accused the party of drifting away from its founding ideals before defecting to the Peoples Democratic Party.

A similar scenario unfolded in Ebonyi, where senatorial aspirant Christian Nwali dumped the APC over dissatisfaction with the consensus arrangement adopted by the state chapter.

In Kano, tensions escalated after former governor Ibrahim Shekarau emerged as the preferred consensus aspirant following a reconciliation meeting brokered by party leaders.

Although six aspirants reportedly stepped down in his favour, some party members condemned the arrangement, arguing that loyal supporters were being sacrificed for political convenience.

The development also reportedly unsettled reconciliation efforts linked to Governor Abba Yusuf, as some stakeholders allegedly boycotted peace meetings convened to calm rising tensions within the party.

In Taraba, the endorsement of Senator Shuaibu Isa Lau generated backlash from youth groups and party stakeholders, who accused the lawmaker of poor representation and lacking visible achievements.

Supporters of disqualified aspirants in Benue and Kogi also accused party leaders of violating zoning arrangements and restricting access to nomination forms.

Perhaps the most dramatic fallout emerged in Rivers, where the APC screening appeal panel confirmed the disqualification of 65 aspirants, while only 33 secured clearance ahead of the primaries.

Chairman of the appeal panel, Abdul Mahmud, disclosed that many complaints centred on poor communication, with some aspirants allegedly learning of their disqualification through social media.

Mahmud advised the party leadership to improve transparency by ensuring aspirants were formally informed of screening outcomes and reasons for disqualification.

In Kaduna, opposition to consensus candidacies intensified following alleged moves to adopt former lawmaker Shehu Sani as consensus candidate for Kaduna Central Senatorial District.

The move was reportedly opposed by former Speaker Yusuf Zailani and activist Yarima Shettima, both of whom warned against what they described as political manipulation.

Meanwhile, uncertainty persisted in Plateau State, Imo State, Abia State, Gombe State and Zamfara State, where several aspirants were still awaiting official screening results.

Some aspirants in Plateau reportedly claimed they were verbally informed of their disqualification without formal communication from the party.

Political analysts warned that the growing disputes reflect the APC’s struggle to balance internal democracy with the increasing push for consensus candidacies ahead of the 2027 elections.

They noted that while consensus arrangements may help reduce costly and divisive primaries, attempts to impose candidates without broad consultation risk fuelling defections, anti-party activities and voter apathy.

Despite ongoing reconciliation efforts in many states, concerns remain that unresolved grievances could deepen factional divisions within the ruling party ahead of the primaries and ultimately weaken its electoral strength going into the 2027 general elections