APC Gains Momentum as Ministers Eye 2027 Gubernatorial Races
Nigeria's ruling All Progressives Congress strengthens its position ahead of 2027 elections as Power Minister Adelabu prepares to resign for Oyo governorship bid, while opposition governors reportedly consider defection.
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Nigeria's political landscape is shifting as the All Progressives Congress (APC) consolidates power through governor defections and ministerial resignations ahead of the 2027 general elections, according to multiple reports from Naija News.
Power Minister Adebayo Adelabu is expected to resign in the coming weeks to contest the Oyo State governorship, triggering intense lobbying for his replacement. The development follows a pattern of ministers leaving President Bola Tinubu's cabinet to pursue state-level positions, with Education Minister Tunji Alausa denying similar reports about his resignation to contest the Lagos governorship.
In Kaduna State, former House of Representatives member Samaila Abdu Suleiman resigned as Counselor on Infrastructure under Governor Uba Sani to prepare for the 2027 elections. Senator Ibrahim Lamido of Sokoto East Senatorial District has declared his governorship ambition on the APC platform, dismissing claims he had left the ruling party.
The APC's expansion efforts appear to be yielding results. Edo State Governor Monday Okpebholo declared during a defection reception in Benin City that "the APC now has 31 governors," expressing confidence that more opposition governors would join the party. Zamfara State Governor Dauda Lawal is reportedly considering defection from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the APC, with APC leaders in Abuja actively courting him. Sources suggest the move may occur after Eid-el-Kabir celebrations.
Former APC member Dapo Lam-Adesina described the recent peaceful APC congress in Oyo State as evidence of the party's readiness to reclaim power from the current PDP administration in 2027. The congress produced new party executives amid preparations for the gubernatorial race.
Meanwhile, former Information Minister Lai Mohammed offered a retrospective analysis of the 2023 presidential election during an appearance on Edmund Obilo's podcast, claiming the PDP "could have won" if Peter Obi had remained with the party and continued his alliance with Atiku Abubakar rather than defecting to the Labour Party.
President Tinubu conducted a minor cabinet reshuffle this week, redeploying Doris Uzoka-Anite from Minister of State for Finance to the Federal Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning. Uzoka-Anite thanked the president for the reassignment, which appointed Federal Inland Revenue Service Chairman Zacch Adedeji to her former position.