By Chibuzo Ukaibe and James Kwen, Abuja, and Emmanuel Mgbeahurike, Owerri
A fresh crisis may be brewing within the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) following alleged moves by some governors elected on the platform of the party to push for the removal of the national chairman, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The governors -- two each from the South-West and North-Central, and one from the South-South -- are pushing for the appointment of a new national chairman to oversee the party's outing in the January and February general elections.
One of the South-West governors is being fingered by insiders as one of the arrowheads of the plot against the national chairman.
Keep up with the latest headlines on WhatsApp | LinkedIn
The governors, according to top party sources, are upset with the national chairman over his refusal to do their bidding during the recently concluded National Assembly primaries conducted across the country.
They are said to be displeased with Yilwatda's insistence that all results must undergo proper scrutiny by the National Working Committee (NWC) before final ratification and official announcement at the party's national secretariat in Abuja.
This development comes despite the reported hijacking of the National Assembly primaries in their respective states and the alleged effort to ensure that only their anointed candidates emerged through the election committees deployed to oversee the exercise.
But Yilwatda, reacting through his Special Adviser on Media and Information Strategy, Abimbola Tooki, said all decisions on the procedure for the primaries were undertaken with the collective agreement of all stakeholders in the party.
While dismissing the notion that governors are angry with him over the primaries, the national chairman told LEADERSHIP Friday that the proper sequence leading to the declaration of winners was adhered to, adding that results could be collated at the state and local government levels but no candidate should be formally declared winner at that stage.
LEADERSHIP Friday also reached out to the chairman of the Progressives Governors' Forum, Governor Hope Uzodimma, through his Chief Press Secretary, Hon. Oguwike Nwachuku, who said he was not in a position to speak for the Progressives Governors' Forum.
However, party insiders maintained that the APC 2026 Primary Election Guidelines clearly directed election committees to 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.
However, many governors reportedly disregarded this provision and allegedly insisted that results be collated and winners announced directly in their respective state capitals.
The national chairman had also re-emphasised this position during his recent appearance on Politics Today, a programme on Channels Television, where he maintained that only the NWC possesses the power to verify election results and officially declare winners of party primaries.
An insider at the APC National Secretariat in Abuja, who spoke with our correspondent in confidence, confirmed that the leadership of the party was aware of the alleged plot against the chairman.
According to the top party source, some governors had allegedly been working against Prof. Yilwatda even before the commencement of the primaries.
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."
The source added that the chairman's insistence on the verification of election results and the official declaration of winners in Abuja was seen by some governors as another major obstacle, with some of them now believing that since Prof. Yilwatda is unwilling to do their bidding, he should not be allowed to oversee preparations for the 2027 general elections.
"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," he said.
It would be recalled that Prof. Yilwatda emerged as APC national chairman following the resignation of his predecessor, Abdullahi Ganduje, who stepped down on health grounds in June 2025.
Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters
Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox
Sources within the party also revealed that Yilwatda was widely believed to be the preferred choice of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the party's top position.
In his reaction, however, special adviser on media and information strategy to the APC national chairman, Abimbola Tooki, dismissed the notion that there was angst of that sort.
"There is nothing like anger anywhere. All decisions taken on the primary elections were undertaken with the collective agreement of all stakeholders in the party.
"There is nothing like not allowing governors to determine the outcome of primaries.
"The results can be collated and announced at the local government and state levels, but no candidate should be formally declared winner at that stage. This is because some aspirants may wish to exercise their constitutional right to appeal by submitting petitions to the appeal committee.
"It is only after such appeals have been received, thoroughly scrutinised and considered on their merit by the National Working Committee of the party that a final declaration of winner can be made by the NWC. That is the proper sequence leading to the official declaration of a winner," he said.
