List Of Five States That Risk Exclusion From Primaries, Presidential Convention As Crises In APC Escalate

List Of Five States That Risk Exclusion From Primaries

OpenLife Nigeria reports that barely four weeks after the inauguration of a new set of executives in the All Progressives Congress (APC), early signs of internal tension are already emerging, raising questions about cohesion within the party and compliance with its constitutional provisions.

According to Daily Independent, the growing controversy stems from an alleged departure from a directive attributed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, which recommended the inclusion of all deputy national officers as members of the National Working Committee (NWC).

Stakeholders say the directive, originally intended to deepen inclusivity and strengthen internal balance, is being applied selectively, fueling dissatisfaction across different levels of the party.

Party insiders, however, insist the issue is not new but part of a long-standing structural grievance.

A former deputy national officer who served under both Abdullahi Adamu and Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, speaking anonymously, described the development as “a continuation of entrenched exclusion.”

According to him, internal resistance from powerful interests has consistently blocked certain officers, especially those who previously challenged the status quo, from full reintegration into party leadership structures.

He argued that since constitutional amendments have already accommodated some deputy officers into the NWC, fairness requires that the remaining ones be treated equally.

The APC’s 2022 amended constitution provides for several deputy national officers, including the Deputy National Financial Secretary, Deputy National Organising Secretary, Deputy National Women Leader, Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Deputy National Welfare Secretary, Deputy National Auditor, Deputy National Treasurer, Deputy National Legal Adviser, and Deputy National Youth Leader.

According to the report, some stakeholders interpret these positions as forming part of the broader operational structure of the NWC.

However, the practical implementation of these provisions has come under scrutiny.
Critics describe the current arrangement as selective, with only a portion of deputy national officers fully integrated into the party’s decision-making framework, while others remain excluded without clear explanation.

Reports indicate that representatives from Akwa Ibom, Kwara, Ekiti, Cross River, and Zamfara states are among those affected.

Their exclusion, observers say, has triggered concern among political actors, including governors and senior lawmakers from the affected states, who are questioning the basis for the selective application of the party’s constitutional provisions.

Questions are also being raised over why certain deputy offices were absorbed into the NWC structure while others were left out, despite operating under the same constitutional framework.

Beyond the immediate governance concerns, party observers warn that the development could have deeper political consequences.

They argue that the continued sidelining of the affected representatives may effectively amount to the exclusion of five states, their governors, and five prospective deputy national officers from participating in the party’s forthcoming primaries and presidential convention.

Such a scenario, they caution, could disenfranchise entire state blocs at a critical stage in the party’s electoral cycle.

Analysts further note that the implications are both strategic and far-reaching.
Participation in party primaries and national conventions remains central to candidate selection, alliance formation, and the broader question of political legitimacy.

Excluding these states, they warn, could weaken grassroots mobilisation, disrupt internal coordination, and create significant gaps in the party’s national electoral structure ahead of the 2027 presidential election.

More broadly, observers caution that continued internal disagreements, particularly within the APC secretariat and allied power blocs, could pose risks to the party’s unity and potentially affect President Tinubu’s re-election strategy if not properly managed.

As tensions persist, the APC now faces a key internal test: whether it can resolve emerging disputes, enforce its constitutional provisions uniformly, and maintain equitable participation across all its structures, or risk deeper factional strain at a politically sensitive time.

Source: Sahara Reporters