2027: APM Faces Internal Rift As South-East Party Chairmen Reject Campaign Council Imposition, Threaten Boycott
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ABUJA — A major political crisis has erupted within the opposition Allied Peoples Movement (APM) as its state chairmen across the five South-Eastern states—Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu, and Imo—have staged a joint revolt against the party’s national leadership and its presidential flagbearer, Oyo State Governor Engr. Seyi Makinde.
The revolt was made public during a high-stakes press conference in Abuja on Sunday, where the Enugu State APM Chairman, Barr. Ken Ikeh, flanked by his four counterpart state chairmen, presented a joint communiqué warning of a impending breakdown in campaign operations. The chairmen issued a firm ultimatum, threatening to pull out of the current campaign arrangements if parallel structures and imposed coordinators in the zone are not immediately disbanded.
Praise for Leadership and High-Profile Defectors
In the communique, the South-East executives began by passing a vote of confidence in the party’s national stewardship, expressing their “profound appreciation and commendation to the National Chairman of our great party, Dr. Yusuf Maman Dantalle, for his exceptional political sagacity, administrative competence, leadership prowess, and strategic vision, which have continued to strengthen the APM and enhance its attractiveness as a credible platform for democratic governance in Nigeria.”
They explicitly saluted Dr. Dantalle’s ability to attract major political figures to the fold, remarking: “We particularly commend his leadership in attracting prominent political figures, including the Governors of Bauchi and Oyo States, whose reported alignment with our party represents a significant development in our collective political journey.”
Warmly welcoming Bauchi State Governor Sen. Bala Mohammed and Oyo State Governor Engr. Seyi Makinde alongside their associates, the chairmen noted: “We consider the participation of these distinguished political leaders in the APM political project an opportunity to broaden the party’s national appeal, strengthen its political structures, and advance the collective aspiration of Nigerians for a more prosperous, secure, and equitable society.”
Reaffirming their commitment to the party’s platform, they extended their “solidarity and support to His Excellency, Engr. Seyi Makinde, in his capacity as the party’s Presidential Flagbearer, as presented in the party’s political programme, and express our readiness to work towards the success of the RESET NIGERIA AGENDA.”
Endorsement of Town Hall Meetings and ‘Reset Nigeria’ Agenda
The South-East leadership also praised the party’s nationwide drive to connect with voters through community-level dialogue, calling it a “laudable initiative of promoting democratic participation and community engagement through Town Hall Meetings across the various geopolitical zones of Nigeria.”
They characterized the outreach as “a progressive approach to political mobilization, public consultation, and grassroots participation, as it provides an opportunity for citizens to interact with political leaders, express their concerns, articulate their aspirations, and contribute to the formulation of policies that directly affect their lives.”
Underscoring their determination to take the message to the grassroots, they commended “the determination to take the RESET NIGERIA AGENDA to every community and ensure that its message resonates with Nigerians across geographical, social, ethnic, and political divides,” while formally reaffirming their commitment to all legitimate democratic engagements designed to promote national renewal.
Sharp Rejection of Parallel Campaign Coordinators
Despite their support for the party’s platform, the core of the press conference centered on a fierce rejection of how the Makinde/Daura Presidential Campaign Council is being structured.
Reading from the communiqué, Barr. Ikeh voiced their “strongest objection to the appointment or imposition of zonal and state coordinators for the Makinde/Daura Presidential Campaign Council in a manner that sidelines or usurps the responsibilities of the duly recognized State Chairmen and established party structures.”
They argued that operating without consultation with elected state chairmen is “inconsistent with the principles of internal democracy, collective responsibility, and respect for the party’s established legal framework,” adding that “it is therefore counterproductive to establish parallel structures that could create confusion, undermine existing leadership, encourage unnecessary rivalry, and weaken the unity required for a successful presidential campaign.”
Urgent Demands for Dissolution and Resource Transfer
To remedy the rift, the chairmen put forward explicit demands to Presidential Flagbearer Seyi Makinde and the APM national leadership, calling on them “to take immediate steps to review and dissolve the state coordinatorship structures established for the Makinde/Daura Presidential Campaign Council where such structures duplicate, undermine, or displace the authority of the duly recognized State Chairmen.” They submitted that “the most effective way to build a formidable presidential campaign organization is to strengthen the existing party structures rather than create competing levels of authority.”
Furthermore, they insisted on the immediate release of all mobilization tools directly to elected executives. They requested that “all campaign materials, whether vehicles, branded campaign equipment, publicity materials, logistical resources, or other items intended for political mobilization within the various states, be made available to the respective State Chairmen for effective distribution and utilization.” They maintained that “campaign resources are most effective when entrusted to recognized party structures that possess the capacity to deploy them strategically, transparently, and in accordance with the peculiar needs of each state.”
Calling for high-level political intervention, they made a “passionate appeal to His Excellency, Senator Bala Mohammed, our National Leader, and His Excellency, Engr. Seyi Makinde, Executive Governor of Oyo State and our Presidential Flagbearer, to urgently intervene and address the concerns raised in this communiqué,” warning that parallel operations generate “unnecessary tension, weaken the party’s organizational cohesion, and undermine the progress already recorded.”
Firm Warning Against ‘Crowd Renting’ and Ultimatum
The communiqué took a sharp turn as the leadership warned national campaign strategists against underestimating the political realities of the South-East region.
The chairmen stated categorically that “the South East Nigeria is a region with peculiar sociopolitical nuances and republican economic attitudes which cannot allow the idea of renting crowd to organize the regional town hall meeting to succeed.”
Delivering a final ultimatum, the party leaders declared unequivocally: “Should these grievances not be addressed immediately and satisfactorily, the undersigned State Chairmen may be compelled to reconsider their continued participation in the present campaign arrangement and take further appropriate decisions in the collective political interest of their respective states and the South-East geopolitical zone.”
Official Signatories
The communiqué was signed and presented in full by the complete leadership of the APM in the South-East geopolitical zone:
- Enugu State Chairman – Barr. Ken Ikeh (Presenter)
- Abia State Chairman – Deacon Victor Umunna
- Anambra State Chairman – Uzochukwu Eminent
- Ebonyi State Chairman – Evangelist Ohakam Kate
- Imo State Chairman – Hon. Clinton Edoziem
As of press time, neither the National Working Committee of the APM nor the leadership of the Makinde/Daura Presidential Campaign Council has issued an official response to the demands of the South-East chairmen.
