APM: A Crisis-Free Political Powerhouse Poised to Challenge APC Dominance As INEC Deadline Looms-Bolaji Kazeem

As Nigeria’s political landscape heats up ahead of the 2027 general elections, the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) is rapidly emerging as one of the most stable and strategically positioned opposition platforms.

Unlike major parties embroiled in protracted legal battles and internal schisms, APM stands out for its lack of “legal lockjams,” offering defectors a clean slate to field candidates without the risk of disqualification.

Today, May 9, 2026, marks the eve of a critical INEC deadline. Political parties must submit their membership registers to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) by May 10, 2026, under the provisions of the Electoral Act 2026.

Any party whose register is not accepted risks being unable to field candidates in the forthcoming primaries and elections.

This technical requirement is proving decisive for aspirants weighing their options amid the PDP’s ongoing turmoil.PDP’s Lingering Crisis and the Supreme Court Verdict The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) remains deeply fractured despite multiple conventions and court interventions.

INEC’s website continues to list the names of the so-called Wike faction leaders, Senator Samuel Anyanwu (National Secretary), Abdulrahman Mohammed (National Chairman), and Kamaldeen Ajibade, SAN (National Legal Adviser), even after the release of the Certified True Copy (CTC) of the Supreme Court judgment.

That ruling affirmed their suspension and the nullification of actions taken by the faction by the Damagum/Turaki-led national leadership.

The Wike faction insists the party is now “united” under its leadership, but the Turaki faction, previously backed by several governors, who are now in APM, maintains that the Supreme Court has effectively obliterated parallel structures and validated the expulsions.

This unresolved standoff has left many PDP stakeholders in limbo, unable to guarantee candidate eligibility before the INEC cutoff.High-Profile Defections Signal APM’s MomentumIn a masterstroke of political realignment, the PDP leadership faction aligned with Governors Bala Mohammed and Seyi Makinde has strategically adopted the APM as its new vehicle.

Bauchi State Governor Senator Bala Mohammed officially defected to the APM on May 2, 2026, along with the entire state PDP structure, including his yet-to-be-named successor and key stakeholders.

At a well-attended event, the governor picked up his nomination form to contest the Bauchi South Senatorial District seat under the APM platform.

He described the move as a “strategic decision” guided by the need for internal democracy and stability, stating that “our hearts remain with the PDP, but politically we must move forward.”

APM National Chairman Yusuf Mamman Dantalle presided over the integration. Oyo State is witnessing a similar mass exodus. A gale of resignations has hit the PDP, particularly among consensus candidates for governor, Senate, House of Representatives, State House of Assembly, local government chairmen, and political appointees loyal to Governor Seyi Makinde.

Sources close to the governor confirm he has concluded arrangements with the APM and is expected to formally join in a grand South-West rally in the coming days.

The event is projected to rally support across Lagos, Ogun, Ondo, Ekiti, Oyo and other Nigerian States.

Governor Makinde is reportedly backing Bimbo Adekanmbi, a former Commissioner for Finance under late Governor Abiola Ajimobi, as the APM governorship candidate for Oyo in 2027.

Lagos PDP has acted even more decisively. The chapter has strategically migrated its structures and candidates en masse to the APM, minimizing internal crisis and focusing squarely on electioneering.

By consensus, the party has adopted Prince Laja Adeoye, a Real Estate Developer, the CEO of Fendini Group, the former PDP consensus governorship candidate, as its flagbearer for the 2027 Lagos governorship race.

APM: A Virile, Baggage-Free Opposition PlatformRegistered with INEC since 2018, the APM is led by a credible National Working Committee headed by National Chairman Alhaji Yusuf Mamman Dantalle and National Secretary Oyadeyi Ayodele Adebayo.

The party’s guiding principles, integrity, sacrifice, and service, focus on strengthening the economy, securing lives and property, protecting the environment, and upgrading infrastructure.

It has already demonstrated grassroots viability, winning a council seat in Bauchi State during the 2024 local government elections.

In contrast to newer formations such as the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), which recently attracted figures like Peter Obi and Rabiu Kwankwaso but is already showing signs of internal rifts, and the African Democratic Congress (ADC), which continues to grapple with leadership disputes and court cases, APM offers a relatively clean and administratively stable platform.

This absence of legal baggage makes it the preferred destination for politicians determined to meet INEC’s membership-register and candidate-nomination timelines.

Strategic Implications for 2027With the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) consolidating power, commanding 31 of 36 states following recent realignments, a fragmented opposition risks handing the APC another comfortable victory.

APM’s methodical penetration across the North-East (Bauchi), South-West (Oyo and Lagos), and potential expansion into other zones positions it as a genuine contender capable of forging a broad-based coalition.

As one senior stakeholder noted, the party is not merely absorbing defectors; it is building a “virile opposition” focused on proper election planning capable of wrestling power from the Bola Tinubu led APC rather than endless litigation.

With the INEC register submission window closing on May 10, the decisions made in the next 48 hours by remaining PDP holdouts could reshape Nigeria’s opposition architecture for the next electoral cycle.

APM’s message is clear: in a season of political uncertainty, stability is the ultimate currency, and the Allied Peoples Movement currently holds the strongest claim to it.