…Ganduje’s replacement top agenda at NEC meeting
As the All Progressives Congress (APC) concluded legislative bye-elections in 16 constituencies across 12 states, the party is now bracing for a potentially stormy National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting on Thursday amid rising internal discord, unresolved petitions, and mounting leadership tensions.
The bye-elections—conducted on July 19 to fill vacant seats in the Senate, House of Representatives, and State Houses of Assembly—have been marred by withdrawals, petitions, and allegations of manipulation in states including Adamawa, Edo, Anambra, Ogun, and Kaduna.
In Adamawa, an aspirant for the Ganye State Constituency, Yusuf Atiku, pulled out of the race, citing irregularities in the delegate congress and accusing party officials of excluding key stakeholders. Similar grievances emerged in Edo, where aspirants described the primaries as “mere vote allocation”, with complaints of disenfranchisement in both Edo-Central Senatorial District and the Ovia Northeast/Ovia South-West Federal Constituency.
Ogun State witnessed a troubling allegation: only one nomination and expression of interest form was reportedly made available—for a single preferred aspirant in the Ikene/Shagamu/Remo-North federal constituency.
Kaduna saw a parallel congress organized by supporters of a particular aspirant, further signaling deepening rifts within the party. Meanwhile, in Anambra-South senatorial district, Dr. Obinna Uzoh petitioned the party to declare him the rightful winner, alleging conflicts of interest in the composition of all election-related committees. He called for an investigation into the credentials of his opponent, Azuka Okwuosa, and condemned what he described as “unprecedented collusion” by committee officials.
The timing of these controversies could not be more critical, as APC’s NEC—the party’s second-highest decision-making body—is set to meet on Thursday to deliberate on leadership succession, particularly the fate of acting chairman Ali Dalori and the future of the current National Working Committee (NWC).
Reliable sources at the APC national secretariat confirmed that President Bola Tinubu has received a draft agenda from the NWC, which includes the ratification of a substantive national chairman, possible dissolution of the NWC, and arrangements for an elective national convention.
Legal expert and member of the 2022 APC Constitution Review Committee, Barrister Bashir Maidugu, emphasized that the NEC has the constitutional power to appoint a new chairman, referencing Articles 13:3(ii) and 13.3(c), which limit acting tenures to 12 months.
However, uncertainty surrounds the meeting’s outcome. While some insiders believe Dalori’s role may be ratified temporarily, others argue that President Tinubu may bypass the convention and install a new chairman outright. Speculations also persist that the NEC could dissolve the entire NWC and appoint a caretaker committee, as it did in 2020 when Adams Oshiomhole was ousted.
In response to these rumors, the All Progressives Stakeholders Forum, led by Dr. Maryam Danjaki, issued an open letter to President Tinubu urging him to retain the current NWC until the next convention. They warned that any abrupt leadership change could ignite unrest within the party and destabilize his administration’s “Renewed Hope” agenda.
“The current NWC has shown considerable stability… This is not a time for uncertainty. It is a time for consolidation, harmony, and focus—both in governance and within the party”, the group said.
A member of the NEC, speaking anonymously, revealed growing dissatisfaction with the party’s leadership dynamics. Concerns were also raised over the party’s readiness for congresses, the motivations of defecting governors, and the potential fallout from dissolving the NWC. “If we’re not careful, our internal crisis will surpass that of the opposition”, the NEC member cautioned.
Meanwhile, many aggrieved aspirants are still awaiting the reports of the APC’s Appeal Committees on the bye-elections, expressing hope that the panels will address their grievances credibly and restore faith in the party’s internal democratic processes.
As tensions rise from both the electoral and leadership fronts, all eyes now turn to Thursday’s NEC meeting, which could shape the future of the APC ahead of the 2026 FCT Council polls and the 2027 general elections.
