Just a few weeks to the commencement of party primaries ahead of the 2027 general elections, major political parties in the country are still embroiled in internal wrangling that could affect their chances of victory at the polls.

The four major parties – the All Progressives Congress (APC), the African Democratic Congress (ADC), the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and the Labour Party (LP), are all embroiled in leadership tussles, conflict over zoning and other issues, even as they struggle to meet the deadline set by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for party primary elections.

For the ruling APC, what appears to be a hijack of the party’s structure by state governors and the presidency is still unsettling major contestants for various National Working Committee (NWC) positions.

While a number of meetings have been held ahead of next Saturday’s national convention of the party, issues surrounding some key NWC positions, which are expected to be zoned to the various states, are yet to be resolved.

Party sources told Saturday Sun that President Bola Tinubu will meet with state governors, leaders of the National Assembly and other key stakeholders in Abuja after the Sallah holidays to address pending issues.

For the leading opposition party, the ADC, there are unresolved issues about leadership that are yet to be addressed. However, Saturday Sun gathered that the scheduled April 14, 2026 national convention is to affirm some decisions taken recently by some organs of the party.

ADC National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi said that the convention would also ratify reports submitted by some of its committees and approve timetable for nomination of candidates for the 2027 general election.

“The convention is to affirm the previous decisions that have been taken in the last few months by the various organs of the party and also to ratify some reports that have been submitted and approve the time table for primaries,” he told Saturday Sun.

The ADC spokesman, while reacting to the plan by some persons to hold a factional convention of the opposition party between April 2 and 5, said the plot would be of no consequence.

He noted that the Senator David Mark led National Working Committee (NWC) is the one duly recognised by the electoral umpire as the leadership of the ADC.

Abdullahi said: “It doesn’t have any implication. The only bonafide leadership of the party that is recognised by INEC is the David Mark leadership. So, any other person doing any other thing is just wasting their time. We know it is government people that are sponsoring them to create all these irritations. That is what it is. But in reality, it doesn’t have any implication.”

A faction of the ADC led by Nafi’u Bala recently announced a parallel convention, scheduled for April 2 to 5 to elect a new National Working Committee (NWC) for the opposition party.

For the PDP, the Tanimu Turaki-led National Working Committee (NWC) of the party, said it focused on reconciliation with the faction led by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike.

The National Publicity Secretary of the Turaki-led NWC, Ini Ememobong, who spoke against the backdrop of plans by the National Caretaker Committee, which is backed by Wike, to hold its convention, said they would await the outcome of peace talks, before deciding on the next line of action.

The spokesman of the caretaker committee, Haruna Mohammed, had, on Wednesday, unveiled plans by the faction to hold a national convention to elect a new leadership for the opposition party.

The Court of Appeal, Abuja Division, had in a recent judgment nullified the PDP convention held in Ibadan last year, where the Turaki led NWC was elected. However, the Court of Appeal, Ibadan, which is adjudicating on an appeal against a Federal High Court judgment, which legitimised the caretaker committee, advised parties in the dispute to explore an amicable resolution and report back to it.

Ememobong, who was reacting to the convention plans by the caretaker committee, told Saturday Sun that “we are focused on reconciliation. Until it fails, we will continue to show utmost good faith.”

On what will be the next line of action in the event that the two groups do not find a common ground, the spokesman stated that “we will continue to show utmost good faith. The next plan will be determined at that time.”

In the meantime, the Deputy National Chairman of the Julius Abure-led LP, Ayo Olorunfemi, is unrelenting in his attacks against the Senator Nenadi Usman-led caretaker committee. He is insisting that the 2024 national convention remains valid and binding

Olorunfemi said this while reacting to moves by the caretaker committee to hold another convention in 2026, describing it as a waste of time.

Olorunfemi, a key figure in the Abure-led leadership, argued that the convention, conducted in line with the party’s constitution, legally granted all elected officials a four-year mandate.

He noted: “They conducted the elections, returned all winners and we were duly sworn in. As we speak, no court has set aside that convention.

“Even if there is a court pronouncement, the party’s constitution has no provision for that structure. She cannot act outside the constitution. The Independent National Electoral Commission had already communicated its stance on the matter to the faction.”

He further alleged that a recent National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting convened by the rival group lacked legitimacy, claiming that the majority of NEC members were excluded.

Olorunfemi also rejected any attempt to overturn congresses conducted nationwide under the supervision of INEC, warning that such actions would amount to lawlessness.

“No individual is bigger than the law; not even a sitting governor. You cannot wake up and overturn validly conducted ward, local government and state congresses,” he declared.

He dismissed the numerical strength of the opposing camp, arguing that a small group of leaders cannot override the will of the majority within the party.

“They are barely eight individuals. They cannot confront over 90 members who represent the majority. What they are doing cannot stand,” he added. (The Sun)

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