2027: APC moves to bypass governors over polling agents

Party may pay election funds directly to candidates amid sabotage fears

By Dayo Johnson, Akure

AKURE — The National Working Committee (NWC) of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has reportedly directed its candidates to submit the names of their polling agents directly to the party’s national secretariat in Abuja, in a move aimed at preventing alleged sabotage by some governors ahead of the 2027 general elections.

A party chieftain in Akure, who disclosed this at the weekend, said the directive marked a departure from the party’s usual procedure, under which state chapters compile and forward agents’ lists to the national secretariat.

According to him, the new arrangement was introduced to forestall alleged moves by some aggrieved governors to undermine APC candidates on election day.

He said the directive was being enforced mainly in states where the NWC suspects some governors of backing candidates of other political parties against APC flag-bearers.

The development followed an alarm raised by a South-West group, the Oodua Progressive Youths League (OPYL).

In a statement signed by its General Secretary, Wale Abdulwaheed, the group alleged that some governors whose preferred aspirants lost the APC National Assembly primaries had encouraged them to obtain tickets from opposition parties and contest against the ruling party’s candidates in 2027.

OPYL further alleged that the governors had reached agreements with opposition parties on the nomination of polling agents and instructed candidates they were backing on other platforms to nominate their loyalists, who remain APC members, as polling agents for the ruling party.

The group claimed that the names would subsequently be forwarded to the APC national secretariat as the party’s authentic polling agents in the affected states.

A serving member of the National Assembly from Ondo State and an APC candidate for the 2027 elections also confirmed the reported directive but requested anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter.

According to the lawmaker, the NWC had sidelined Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa in the process and instructed APC candidates in Ondo State to submit their agents’ names directly to Abuja. He added that the relevant forms had already been given to the candidates.

“The national body instructed the state chairman to give us our forms directly, and the chairman himself said he was under instruction not to give the forms to anyone except the candidates.

“He confirmed that Ondo State was specifically told to follow that route,” the lawmaker said.

The lawmaker added that the party’s national leadership was monitoring the activities of APC governors across the country and might adopt a similar approach to the disbursement of campaign funds.

Under the proposed arrangement, he said, funds could be paid directly to candidates, bypassing governors suspected of engaging in anti-party activities.

“It is not hidden that Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa directed some aspirants who lost the APC primaries to seek tickets on other platforms and contest against the party’s candidates.

“The evidence is there. We all saw some of his political appointees, including party executive members, at the declaration of Hon. Matthew Oyerinmade (MATO) for the PDP, the platform on which he has now emerged as the party’s candidate for Ondo South Senatorial District,” he alleged.

The lawmaker also alleged that Aiyedatiwa was financing Prince Idowu Mafimisebi, who is contesting for Ilaje/Ese-Odo Federal Constituency on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

He further cited the attendance of some of the governor’s appointees at a rally organised in Idanre by Hon. Tajudeen Adefisoye, popularly known as Small Alhaji, who is now the Social Democratic Party (SDP) candidate for Idanre/Ifedore Federal Constituency.

The lawmaker questioned how the APC could rely on the governor to work for the party’s success in the 2027 elections in the face of the allegations.

However, Aiyedatiwa has denied allegations of anti-party activities, describing those accusing him as “naysayers, blackmailers and slanderers”.

“I have zero tolerance for anti-party activities. I have never engaged in anti-party activities in my life,” the governor said.