Abuja, Nigeria — The All Progressives Congress (APC) has signaled a fresh wave of defections from opposition party governors, forecasting that more state leaders will join its ranks ahead of the 2027 general election.
Addressing a gathering of zonal and state publicity secretaries at the party’s headquarters in Abuja, the APC National Secretary, Senator Ajibola Basiru, pointed to the party’s growing momentum, noting that it presently boasts 23 governors and expects more to follow suit soon. “We still have more governors who are viable candidates to come. Some less viable governors are also making moves,” Basiru said, stressing the need for proactive communication of the party’s achievements.
Basiru used the platform, themed “Communicating Renewed Hope,” to express concern over the persistent use of misinformation, ethnicity, and religion as political tools by opposition parties. Drawing attention to the spread of fake news, Basiru criticized the manipulation of images and narratives, wherein unrelated tragedies from countries like Somalia and Chad are falsely attributed to Nigeria.
He also lamented the increasing weaponization of ethnic and religious identities in Nigeria’s political discourse. “Growing up in Nigeria, ethnic fault lines were never this pronounced. Ahead of the 2023 elections, and even now, we see these divisions being deepened for political gain,” he remarked, calling on APC communicators to tackle these divisive strategies head-on.
Speaking at the same event, Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake, highlighted the federal government’s economic reforms, describing the removal of fuel subsidies and the unification of foreign exchange rates as pivotal decisions. According to Alake, these policies have helped stabilize the currency, boosted government revenue, and enabled states to clear debts and invest more in infrastructure.
Alake likened current economic policies to “laying the foundation for a skyscraper,” arguing that much of the reform work is still beneath the surface but will become increasingly apparent in coming years. He credited President Bola Tinubu’s administration with making tough decisions that past governments avoided, noting, “Now the macroeconomic indices are really shooting up…and the states, the local government, have more money than before.”
As attention turns to the 2027 general election, the APC leaders called for increased vigilance against the polarization of ethnic and religious differences, pledging to showcase their achievements and maintain the party’s expanding foothold across Nigeria.
