APC in 2025: Tinubu’s adoption, defections, enduring fault lines

The year 2025 captured the paradox at the heart of Nigeria’s ruling All Progressives Congress (APC): political expansion and consolidation on one hand, and internal uncertainty and public disquiet on the other. As the party laid the groundwork for the 2027 general elections, defections, leadership changes and key electoral contests exposed both its growing dominance […]

The year 2025 captured the paradox at the heart of Nigeria’s ruling All Progressives Congress (APC): political expansion and consolidation on one hand, and internal uncertainty and public disquiet on the other.

As the party laid the groundwork for the 2027 general elections, defections, leadership changes and key electoral contests exposed both its growing dominance and its lingering dilemmas.

In many respects, it was a year of visible strength for the APC. The party expanded its political reach through a wave of high-profile defections, tightened its grip on the National Assembly and rallied decisively around President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as its preferred candidate for a second term.

Yet 2025 also underscored the contradictions beneath that dominance. Internal leadership changes at the party’s national secretariat, growing public criticism over governance challenges and electoral setbacks in key contests revealed unresolved weaknesses, particularly at the grassroots level in some regions.

From a controversial change of guard at the APC’s national headquarters to renewed warnings about the risks of a one-party state, the year highlighted both the consolidation of power by the ruling party and the political costs that accompanied it.

On paper, the APC ended 2025 stronger than it began. Its membership base grew, opposition governors and lawmakers defected in significant numbers, and its influence within federal legislative institutions deepened.

But these gains unfolded against a backdrop of economic hardship, insecurity, rising poverty, hunger, food inflation and soaring accommodation costs; issues that dominated national discourse and shaped public perceptions of the APC-led federal government.

For many Nigerians, 2025 was another difficult year marked by reforms that promised long-term gains but imposed short-term pain. This reality fed into criticism of the ruling party and sharpened a central political challenge ahead of 2027: how to convert elite-level consolidation into broad popular legitimacy.

 

Change of guard

One of the most consequential internal developments for the APC in 2025 was the change in its national leadership. In June, the party’s National Chairman, Dr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, resigned under controversial circumstances.

Although official explanations were couched in familiar party language, the abruptness of his exit fuelled speculation about internal power struggles and pressure from influential stakeholders within the party.

On July 24, the APC’s National Executive Committee (NEC), meeting at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, announced Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda as the new national chairman.

A former minister of humanitarian affairs and a past APC governorship candidate in Plateau State, Nentawe assumed office shortly after his emergence. However, party insiders and political analysts were quick to point out that his appointment remains subject to ratification at the party’s next national convention, a reminder of the APC’s tradition of treating NEC decisions as interim arrangements pending endorsement by its highest organ.

Observers said Nentawe’s emergence symbolised both continuity and recalibration within the party. While he is firmly aligned with the APC establishment and the Tinubu presidency, his appointment was also seen as an attempt to stabilise the party after Ganduje’s exit and project a reform-minded image ahead of the 2027 elections.

 

Defections and the politics of expansion

Perhaps the most defining feature of the APC’s 2025 trajectory was the surge of high-profile defections into its fold. Governors, federal lawmakers and influential political figures from opposition parties crossed over, dramatically reshaping the political map across the federation.

Among the most notable were governors elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), including Sheriff Oborevwori of Delta State, Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom, Douye Diri of Bayelsa, Peter Mbah of Enugu, Agbu Kefas of Taraba, Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers and Caleb Mutfwang of Plateau.

Their defections sent shockwaves through the opposition and reinforced the APC’s image as the country’s dominant political force.

At the federal level, the APC also recorded an influx of lawmakers from opposition parties, pushing it beyond a two-thirds majority in both the Senate and the House of Representatives and further entrenching its legislative dominance.

The defections sparked intense debate nationwide. Critics argued that many of the defectors were motivated less by ideology than by political survival, access to federal power, promises of return tickets, contracts and the alleged suspension of investigations by anti-graft agencies such as the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

APC leaders rejected these claims, insisting that the influx reflected confidence in President Tinubu’s leadership, economic reforms and infrastructure agenda.

Nonetheless, the scale of the defections raised concerns among civil society groups, opposition parties and political analysts, who warned that Nigeria risked sliding towards a one-party state, a development they said could weaken democratic accountability and concentrate excessive power in the hands of the ruling party.

For the APC, managing this perception became almost as critical as managing the defections themselves.

 

Tinubu’s adoption

Another defining moment for the APC in 2025 was the endorsement of President Tinubu as the party’s preferred candidate for the 2027 presidential election.

At a major party national summit held in Abuja in May, APC stakeholders passed a vote of confidence in the president and adopted him as the party’s sole candidate for re-election.

The endorsement cut across key party structures. The National Working Committee, then led by Ganduje, APC governors under the Progressive Governors Forum chaired by Imo State Governor Hope Uzodinma, and National Assembly leaders led by Senate President Godswill Akpabio all publicly declared their support for Tinubu.

The show of unity was designed to project stability and focus ahead of 2027. However, it also exposed internal tensions within the party.

Months after the endorsement, APC National Organising Secretary Suleiman Argungu said the party would still allow anyone interested in challenging Tinubu at the primaries to do so, provided they purchased the required nomination forms.

Political observers said the statement appeared to balance democratic principles with political reality, while also highlighting the tension between consensus politics and internal competition within the APC.

 

Electoral setback in Anambra

Despite its growing national dominance, the APC suffered a notable electoral setback in 2025 with its loss in the Anambra State governorship election.

The party fielded Nicholas Ukachukwu as its candidate but was defeated by the incumbent governor, Charles Soludo of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA).

Although Anambra has long been regarded as APGA’s stronghold, the defeat underscored the APC’s continued difficulty in establishing deep grassroots support in parts of the South East, despite recent defections from the region.

Observers said the outcome was a reminder that elite-level realignments do not automatically translate into electoral success, particularly in states with strong local political identities and traditions.

 

Osun, Ekiti governorship primaries

In preparation for the 2026 governorship elections, the APC conducted primaries in Osun and Ekiti states during the year.

In Osun State, the party’s primary produced Chief Munirudeen Bola Oyebamiji as its candidate for the August 8, 2026 election. He emerged through a consensus process supported by party leaders and delegates, in a move aimed at presenting a united front ahead of the contest.

In Ekiti State, Governor Biodun Oyebanji was overwhelmingly affirmed as the APC’s candidate for the June 20, 2026 governorship poll. Delegates endorsed the incumbent through a voice vote, reflecting broad internal support for his re-election bid.

 

Digital reorganisation and e-membership

Looking ahead, the APC used 2025 to lay the groundwork for internal reorganisation, particularly through the adoption of technology.

One of the key initiatives announced during the year was the introduction of electronic membership registration. According to a notice issued by the party’s National Secretary, Ajibola Bashiru, the e-membership exercise is scheduled to commence in January.

Party officials said the initiative is aimed at cleaning up the membership register, strengthening internal democracy and improving data-driven mobilisation ahead of future elections.

If successfully implemented, the programme could mark a significant shift in how the APC organises, tracks and engages its members nationwide as it moves towards 2027.