The National Working Committee (NWC) of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has reportedly directed some of its candidates for the 2027 general elections to submit the names of their proposed polling agents directly to the party’s national secretariat in Abuja, amid concerns over alleged anti-party activities by some governors.
The reported arrangement departs from the party’s conventional practice, under which state chapters compile and forward the names of polling agents to the national secretariat.
Sources told DAILY GAZETTE that the move was intended to prevent possible sabotage by governors allegedly backing candidates of opposition parties against APC flagbearers in the forthcoming elections.
However, the APC Director of Publicity, Bala Ibrahim, said he was unaware of the development when contacted for comment.
The reported directive comes amid allegations by the Oodua Progressive Youths League (OPYL), a South-West group, that some APC governors whose preferred aspirants lost the party’s National Assembly primaries had encouraged them to seek tickets from opposition parties and challenge APC candidates in 2027.
In a statement signed by its General Secretary, Wale Abdulwaheed, the group alleged that some of the governors had reached agreements with opposition parties and were supporting arrangements to influence the selection of polling agents.
According to the group, the alleged plan involved opposition candidates nominating loyalists who remained APC members as agents for the ruling party, with their names subsequently forwarded to the national secretariat as officially recognised representatives.
A member of the National Assembly from Ondo State, who is also an APC candidate for the 2027 elections, reportedly confirmed that the national leadership had adopted the arrangement in his state but requested anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter.
The lawmaker said the NWC had bypassed Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa and instructed the state party chairman to hand over agents’ forms directly to candidates.
“The National body instructed the State Chairman to give us our forms directly and the chairman himself alluded that he was under instruction not to hand over the agents’ forms to anyone except the candidates. He confirmed that Ondo State was specifically told to follow that route,” the source said.
He further alleged that the party’s national leadership was closely monitoring APC governors nationwide and might extend the arrangement to the disbursement of election funds.
According to the lawmaker, the NWC could consider channeling campaign funds directly to APC candidates in states where governors were suspected of supporting opposition candidates, rather than routing the funds through the governors.
The source accused Aiyedatiwa of encouraging some aspirants who lost the APC primaries to contest against the party’s candidates under opposition platforms.
He cited the reported presence of some of the governor’s political appointees and party executive members at the declaration of Hon. Matthew Oyerinmade, popularly known as MATO, as a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate for the Ondo South Senatorial District.
The lawmaker also alleged that Aiyedatiwa was financing Prince Idowu Mafimisebi, who is contesting the Ilaje/Ese-Odo Federal Constituency seat on the PDP platform.
Additionally, he pointed to the reported attendance of some senior special assistants and special assistants appointed by the governor at a rally organised by Hon. Tajudeen Adefisoye, popularly known as Small Alhaji, who is now the Social Democratic Party (SDP) candidate for the Idanre/Ifedore Federal Constituency.
Questioning the governor’s commitment to the APC’s electoral fortunes, the source asked how the party could rely on a governor allegedly supporting candidates running on opposition platforms.
Aiyedatiwa has, however, denied the allegations, insisting that he has never engaged in anti-party activities or directed any aspirant to contest against APC candidates under another party.
Describing his accusers as “naysayers, blackmailers and slanderers,” the governor declared: “I have zero tolerance for anti-party activities. I have never engaged in anti-party activities in my life.”
The APC has yet to publicly confirm the reported directive to candidates or clarify whether the arrangement will be extended to other states ahead of the 2027 general elections.
