As the political temperature ahead of the 2027 general elections rises, Nigeria’s major political parties are increasingly consumed not just by rivalry against opponents, but by fierce internal battles over tickets, defections, zoning arrangements and survival.
With the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) tightening deadlines for submission of membership registers and validating party structures, the All Progressives Congress (APC), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), African Democratic Congress (ADC) and the emerging Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) are locked in overlapping crises that could shape the next electoral cycle.
Key Highlights:
- Nigeria’s main parties — All Progressives Congress, Peoples Democratic Party, African Democratic Congress, and the emerging Nigeria Democratic Congress — are facing major internal crises ahead of 2027.
- The new NDC is gaining attention after high-profile political realignments involving Peter Obi and Rabiu Kwankwaso.
- The ADC has weakened due to defections and failed coalition talks among opposition heavyweights.
- The PDP is divided by intense factional battles over control and presidential ambitions.
- The APC remains stable at the top but faces growing internal resentment over ticket allocation and imposition.
NDC Emerges As New Political Force
The most dramatic shift in the opposition landscape has been the rise of the NDC following the defection of former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi and former Kano State governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso from the ADC.
Their movement triggered a major realignment within opposition ranks, with several lawmakers and political blocs following them into the new platform.
At its national convention in Abuja, the NDC adopted a controversial zoning arrangement that reserves the presidential ticket for the South in 2027 for a single four-year term before power rotates back to the North in 2031.
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The decision is widely seen as favouring Obi, while Kwankwaso is expected to play a central role in any coalition ticket arrangement.
Obi, while addressing party members, warned against what he described as “judicial terrorism” and internal litigations that had destabilised previous opposition platforms.
Despite the momentum, questions continue to trail the NDC’s legitimacy and ownership structure. Political analyst Dr. Umar Ardo recently questioned the legality of the party’s registration, alleging irregularities surrounding a Lokoja court order linked to the process.
Critics within the opposition also fear the party could eventually become vulnerable to infiltration by interests sympathetic to the ruling APC.
ADC Coalition Weakens After High-Profile Exits
The ADC, once projected as the central opposition coalition platform, has suffered major setbacks following the departure of Obi and Kwankwaso.
The coalition had attempted to unite political heavyweights including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Obi, former Rivers governor Rotimi Amaechi and former Kaduna governor Nasir El-Rufai under one structure.
However, disagreements over zoning and control reportedly fractured the alliance before it could fully stabilise. While Obi and Kwankwaso supporters pushed for a southern presidential ticket, Atiku’s camp resisted surrendering the contest.
The crisis deepened after 17 members of the House of Representatives reportedly dumped the ADC for the NDC, severely weakening the party’s legislative relevance.relevance.
ADC National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, has insisted the exits are not fatal to the party, arguing that Obi and Kwankwaso were never deeply rooted in the ADC’s internal structure. Nevertheless, multiple court disputes and unresolved leadership battles continue to threaten the party’s future.
PDP Entrenched In Internal Power Struggle
Within the PDP, the crisis has evolved into an intense confrontation between allies of Federal Capital Territory Minister Nyesom Wike and governors aligned with Oyo State governor Seyi Makinde and Bauchi State governor Bala Mohammed.
The struggle recently escalated at the party’s national secretariat, Wadata Plaza, Abuja, after a Wike-backed faction allegedly changed locks and initiated renovations at sections of the building, further exposing the depth of the division.
Several party leaders have warned that the PDP risks entering the 2027 election season without a legally stable structure capable of producing a consensus candidate.
The uncertainty has fuelled speculations that some influential figures may quietly exit the party before the final closure of INEC registration processes. Amid the instability, both Wike and Makinde are believed to be nursing major ambitions ahead of 2027, further complicating reconciliation efforts.
APC Faces Growing Resentment Over Ticket Allocation
Although the ruling APC appears more stable at the national level, internal tensions are rising over candidate imposition and automatic return tickets.
President Bola Tinubu has effectively secured the party’s presidential backing ahead of 2027, while the APC leadership has reportedly endorsed automatic return tickets for 188 National Assembly members.
The policy, designed to minimise internal conflict and preserve legislative loyalty, has instead provoked resentment among aspiring candidates shut out of the process.
In several states, governorship-backed “anointed candidates” are already facing resistance. In Yobe and Gombe states, aspirants have openly rejected consensus arrangements and demanded direct primaries.
In Nasarawa, multiple aspirants, including a former Inspector-General of Police, reportedly defied Governor Abdullahi Sule by purchasing nomination forms despite pressure to support a preferred candidate.
Similarly, political tensions are mounting in Ogun State between Governor Dapo Abiodun and former governor Gbenga Daniel over control of the party structure.
Analysts warn that while APC members may remain officially within the party due to INEC deadlines, aggrieved aspirants could sabotage the party internally during the elections.
Senate Races Intensify Across Parties
The scramble for legislative tickets is also intensifying nationwide. Former Deputy Senate President Ovie Omo-Agege recently appeared before the APC screening committee ahead of his bid to reclaim the Delta Central Senate seat in 2027.
Omo-Agege described the screening exercise as transparent and pledged continued support for Tinubu’s “Renewed Hope” agenda. He is squared up to fight the battle of his political life as the State Government, His Excellency, Sheriff Oborevwori and majority of the state political structure seems to favour the incumbent, Sen Ede Edafenone.
Meanwhile, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan formally submitted her PDP nomination forms for the Kogi Central senatorial race, declaring that her movement represented “hope” for supporters in the district. According to her, she purchased her form from the Wife’s faction of the PDP, but with the recent ring from supreme court, the survival of the Wife’s camp may be short lived.
Arithmetic Versus Political Reality
Despite the emergence of new alliances and parties, political observers caution that Nigerian electoral politics remains driven more by structure and grassroots mobilisation than elite coalition arithmetic.
The NDC may command significant online visibility and attract urban support through Obi and Kwankwaso’s followership, but analysts argue that translating momentum into nationwide polling-unit strength remains a major challenge.
For the APC, incumbency remains a major advantage, but economic hardship, inflation and insecurity continue to threaten public confidence.
For the PDP and ADC, however, the more urgent question may no longer be whether they can win power, but whether they can maintain cohesion long enough to remain competitive by 2027.
As defections intensify and internal primaries approach, the coming months may determine not only who contests the next election, but which political parties survive the road to 2027.
