Tension Rocks APC Over Alleged Plot To Remove Yilwatda As Chairman

A new crisis might be 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.

According to reports, five APC Governors who are aggrieved by the conduct and outcome of the party’s primaries for the 2027 elections are masterminding a plot to remove Yilwatda from office.

The Governors include two from the Southwest, two from the Northcentral and one from the Southsouth, according to Leadership.

But the reports indicate that one of the Southwest Governors is leading the plot to remove Yilwatda from office and replace him ahead of 2027 elections.

It was learnt, according to top party sources quoted in the report, 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 is learnt that they are not happy with Yilwatda’s demand 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 Do the Crime
But Yilwatda, through his Special Adviser on Media and Information Strategy, Abimbola Tooki, said all decisions on the procedure for the primaries were taken with the collective agreement of all stakeholders in the party.

“The primaries and the declaration of the final results were done according to 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 said that the APC 2026 Primary Election Guidelines clearly stated that election committees should collate results at the constituency and senatorial district levels before sending them to the party’s national headquarters for verification and ratification by the NWC.

But many governors reportedly overlooked this provision and allegedly pressed for the collating of results and announcement of winners directly from their respective state capitals.

APC Leadership Stance
A source in the APC National Secretariat in Abuja who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the party leadership was aware of the alleged plot against the chairman.

Some of the governors had tried to buy off the forms for their preferred candidates ahead of the party primaries, the source claimed.

But he said Yilwatda refused to 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 ready to put in one billion naira each.

“But it was the national chairman who derailed the plan and insisted that all aspirants must be given equal opportunity to get the party forms. This was considered his first offence against the governors.

“The second problem was his refusal to let governors individually appoint all the members of the election committees and appeal panels that were sent to their states. ‘It would have been easier for the governors to install their favourite candidates and influence the reports to support their actions if they could pick all the committee members.

The Tinubu Effect
The source said Yilwatda’s refusal 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 that the aggrieved Governors have not been able to convince President Bola Tinubu on their stance, thus slowing down their moves.

“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 let him run its affairs before the 2027 polls.

“But their main challenge is how to win 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
On 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 rubbished reports of a gang up against Yilwatda.

“There is no such thing as anger anywhere. All decisions on the primary elections were taken with the collective agreement of all stakeholders in the party.

“There is nothing like not letting governors determine the outcome of the primaries.

“Results can be collated 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 petitions to the committee for appeal.

“Only after such appeals are received, thoroughly scrutinised and considered on their merit by the National Working Committee of the party can a final declaration of winner be made by the NWC. That is the proper order to the official declaration of a winner,” he said.

Yilwatda succeeded Abdullahi Ganduje who resigned as APC National Chairman on health grounds in June 2025.

He is believed to have the backing of President Tinubu for the position.