APC Courts Opposition Governors With High-Stakes Offers for Tinubu’s 2027 Re-election Bid

— As the race for the 2027 presidential election gathers steam, Nigeria’s ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has launched a strategic cross-party campaign to lure influential opposition governors and politicians into its fold, The Opitanglobalmedia News can report.

High-level sources within the APC and opposition parties confirmed that the ruling party is offering opposition leaders enticing political incentives, including ministerial appointments, automatic return tickets, the right to anoint successors, and the privilege to nominate National Assembly candidates — all in exchange for their support of President Bola Tinubu’s second-term bid.

This development has triggered anxiety within the camps of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, the 2023 Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate Peter Obi, and leadership figures in the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP).

Opposition Leaders Under Pressure by APC

PDP National Publicity Secretary Debo Ologunagba and NNPP chieftain Ladipo Johnson alleged that their members were being coerced into switching allegiance to the APC through state-backed pressure tactics.

Ologunagba warned, “Tinubu will face the people’s judgment in 2027, and defections won’t shield him from defeat.”

However, APC’s National Secretary Ajibola Basiru and Publicity Director Bala Ibrahim dismissed these claims, maintaining that Nigerians are voluntarily joining the ruling party, which they say remains committed to a government of national unity.

Wave of High-Profile Defections to APC

The opposition’s internal strife has fueled a steady wave of defections to the APC. On April 23, Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, his predecessor and 2023 PDP vice-presidential candidate Ifeanyi Okowa, and other state officials officially joined the APC.

Similarly, Akwa Ibom Governor Umo Eno, after endorsing Tinubu for a second term on April 29, is reportedly preparing to make his exit from the PDP official. Former Governor Udom Emmanuel reportedly informed PDP stakeholders that Eno had quietly joined the APC to safeguard his political future, given federal influence.

Additionally, Anambra State Governor Charles Soludo of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) has also thrown his weight behind Tinubu’s re-election bid.

NSA Ribadu’s Secret Meeting With Adamawa Governor

In a major twist, National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu held a secret four-hour meeting with Governor Ahmadu Fintiri of Adamawa State on Tuesday. Journalists were reportedly ushered out moments after Ribadu arrived at the Government House in Yola.

Sources close to the meeting revealed that Fintiri was offered the chance to:

Nominate his successor,

Pick National Assembly candidates, and

Choose between a ministerial appointment or a Senate seat in 2027.

The strategic move is widely interpreted as an attempt to undercut the political base of Atiku Abubakar, who hails from the same state.

When contacted, Mr. Wonosikou Humwashi, Chief Press Secretary to Fintiri, declined to comment, citing the meeting’s confidentiality.

NNPP, PDP, and LP in Disarray

Sources further suggest that top NNPP figures such as Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf (Kano), Governor Caleb Mutfwang (Plateau), and Governor Fintiri are quietly aligning with Tinubu’s 2027 re-election agenda.

The wave of defections has also reached the National Assembly, weakening the opposition’s hold. At the beginning of the 10th Assembly:

APC controlled 59 Senate seats and 175 House seats,

PDP held 36 Senate and 118 House seats,

LP had 8 senators and 35 House members,

NNPP and others held the rest.

Since July 2023, at least 8 senators and 30 House members have defected to the APC. Prominent defectors include:

Erhiatake Ibori-Suenu, Salisu Koko, Amos Magaji, Ned Nwoko, Chris Nkwonta, and Suleiman Abubakar Gumi,

Senators Adamu Aliero, Yahaya Abdullahi, and Garba Maidoki from Kebbi,

Senator Ezenwa Onyewuchi (LP, Imo East),

LP Reps Esosa Iyawe, Chinedu Okere, Mathew Donatus, and Akiba Bassey,

NNPP lawmakers Yusuf Galambi, Senator Kawu Sumaila, Kabiru Rurum, and Abdullahi Rogo.

Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele defended the defections, stating the APC is operating a “government of national unity” and that “no coercion is involved.”

Atiku Warns: ‘We’re at a Crossroads’

Reacting to the ongoing defections, Atiku Abubakar, speaking through his media adviser Paul Ibe, warned that Nigeria stands at a dangerous political juncture.

“By May 2025 — just two years into Tinubu’s administration — there was already nothing to suggest improvement. It only got worse. Food inflation has soared, poverty is widespread, and insecurity is rampant. The leadership is rudderless.”

He added that continued support for Tinubu represents a vote for policies that have impoverished Nigerians, and warned that opposition leaders embracing the APC were endorsing failure.

“Declaring support for Tinubu and defecting to the APC is a betrayal of the people’s hope and a perpetuation of poverty and insecurity. It’s time for all patriots to unite and take back Nigeria.”

Atiku also alleged that the APC is using intimidation, harassment, and corruption allegations to manipulate opposition members into joining the ruling party.

“A one-party state is dangerous for democracy. Nigerians must not fall for the false allure of power and perks. We must rise and reclaim our country.”