Index to Nigerian Newspapers

APC Rules out Automatic Tickets for Defecting Governors

Top leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) have ruled out the granting of automatic tickets to governors, including Akwa Ibom State Governor Umo Eno, Taraba State Governor Agbu Kefas, and Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara, who joined the party recently, as well as Kano State Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf, who is expected to join soon.A member of the APC National Working Committee (NWC), who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to comment on the issue, explained that defection from another political party to the APC does not guarantee an automatic ticket.Supporting this position, the APC Director of Publicity, Bala Ibrahim, in an exclusive interview with The PUNCH, described the ruling party as democratic and progressive, stressing that all members would be allowed to fully enjoy and exercise their rights.“As is usually the case in the APC, they try to lure you in, and once you are in, they do not provide the ground rules. By the time you realise, it becomes difficult to exit. We are not surprised because the APC will promise them many things, and they may not fulfil any of them.“This situation is usually far from palatable for the governors, and it often leaves them frustrated, with their political expectations unmet and their ambitions constrained by party realities.”

Zakariyau Abdulrahman | 1) Political parties — Nigeria — All Progressives Congress 2) Governors — Nigeria — Political activity 3) Political defections — Nigeria | Punch Newspaper | Monday, January 19, 2026