Fresh defections by northern APC figures and warnings of a repeat of Goodluck Jonathan’s 2015 collapse raise serious concerns over the party’s cohesion ahead of Nigeria’s 2027 elections.
The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) is facing mounting strain in its northern stronghold, as fresh defections and vocal criticism from prominent figures fuel concerns about a repeat of the “Jonathan treatment” in 2027.
Kabiru Marafa, a former Zamfara Central lawmaker and once a campaign coordinator for President Tinubu in the state, announced his resignation from the APC, along with his entire political structure across Zamfara’s 147 wards. In a strongly worded communique, he accused the Tinubu administration of “sustained injustice, mistrust, marginalisation and deliberate neglect of Zamfara State and its people.” His supporters cited glaring security failures: Zamfara recorded 1,203 of the nation’s 4,722 kidnappings in 2024, including 25 villages attacked in a single week.
Meanwhile, in Jigawa State, 289 APC members from Sakwaya Ward defected to the PDP — an outcome hailed by PDP deputy state chairman Umar Danjani as “a significant boost” ahead of the 2027 elections.