The Biggest Challenges APC Has Faced Since 2013

Last checked: 13 October 2026. This article is a neutral explainer based on published reports. It does not endorse any party or candidate, and where accounts conflict it says so. The ranking of “biggest” is a judgement, and different observers would order them differently.

Winning power is not the same as keeping a party together. Since 2013, the APC has faced pressure from within and without, some of it dangerous to its survival. This article looks at eight challenges that recur in reports, what the record shows about each and how the party responded.

1. Holding a merged coalition together

The party was built from the ACN, CPC, ANPP, a faction of APGA and defectors from the PDP. Each group came with its own leaders and expectations. Insiders disagreed publicly about the terms of the deal, including who would be Buhari’s running mate in 2015, and Buba Galadima later led a breakaway group called the Reformed APC. Balancing positions among former blocs has been a constant task.

2. Defections and the loss of legislative majorities

During Buhari’s first term, defections led the party to lose its federal legislative majorities in 2018. Senate President Bukola Saraki and House Speaker Yakubu Dogara were among the dozens who left for the PDP. Losing control of both chambers complicated governing and showed how loose party loyalty can be.

3. Leadership instability

The party has had between six and eight chairmen in thirteen years, depending on how interim and caretaker leaders are counted. The pattern includes pressure on Odigie-Oyegun in 2017 and 2018, Oshiomhole’s suspension and the dissolution of his committee in 2020, Buni’s caretaker period and the questions about its authority, Adamu’s resignation in 2023, and Ganduje’s departure in 2025 after what reports called controversy, legal tussles and tensions in state chapters. Every change carried a risk of splits.

4. Disputes over zoning

When Ganduje, from the North West, replaced Adamu, from the North Central, in 2023, critics said the post should have remained in the North Central. The choice of Yilwatda in 2025 altered the zoning of national offices again. Zoning is a way to share power, but every decision leaves some regions feeling shortchanged.

5. Legal fights over internal processes

Congresses and primaries have repeatedly ended up in court. In 2022, Bayelsa delegates were excluded from the national convention because of pending litigation over ward, local and state congresses. Court challenges also surrounded the Ganduje period. Legal contests slow decisions and can undermine confidence in outcomes.

6. Rifts between party factions and the government

Before the 2023 election, the naira redesign policy set Tinubu and close allies against the Buhari administration, creating division in the party weeks before voting. Disagreements between a president and a party leader are normal in politics, but they are most dangerous close to elections.

7. A stronger opposition coalition

In 2025, opposition leaders, including Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi, gathered around the African Democratic Congress to challenge Tinubu. The APC dismissed the new party as a coalition of retired politicians without electoral value. By 2026, Atiku won the ADC’s primary, with Rotimi Amaechi as running mate, while Obi ran under the Nigeria Democratic Congress, which split the opposition. The irony is that the APC itself was born from a coalition, as DW pointed out. Some commentators say the ADC may threaten the APC in particular states, though it lacks the APC’s nationwide organisation.

8. Public confidence in governing and in the process

A party in power is judged on prices, jobs and security. A Central Bank survey found that 77.2% of households perceived inflation as high in September 2026, though headline inflation had eased to 15.39% in August. The opposition coalition’s main argument is that economic conditions have worsened. The APC argues that reforms are producing results. On the process side, the party faces accusations that defections reflect pressure rather than choice and that it wants to create a one-party state, which it rejects. Analysis of the 2026 primaries said outcomes in many states looked settled before delegates voted, which feeds a critique about internal democracy.

How the party responded

• Caretaker committees and conventions to reset leadership.
• Consensus arrangements to avoid damaging contests.
• Early endorsement of Tinubu for a second term in 2025.
• Recruitment of governors from other parties.

What we could not confirm

• The strength of the opposition vote, which only the election will show.
• Whether defections were voluntary in each case.
• Whether the issues named here will continue after 2027.

Frequently asked questions

What was the party’s worst crisis? Opinions vary, but the 2018 defections and the 2020 dissolution of the working committee are often named.

Is the opposition united? Not fully, since the ADC and the NDC field separate candidates.

Does the APC want a one-party state? It denies this.

Key takeaways

The APC has dealt with coalition tensions, defections, leadership churn, zoning disputes, lawsuits, a stronger opposition and public pressure over living costs. Its record shows both resilience and recurring vulnerability, and the 2027 elections will be the next test.

Sources checked

• Wikipedia, “All Progressives Congress”; Britannica
• Leadership.ng, Arise News and AllAfrica on chairmen and 2025 events
• DW (via AllAfrica) on the opposition coalition
• BusinessDay on the 2027 candidates; Nairametrics on the CBN inflation survey
• Substack analysis of the 2026 primaries; ThisDay and PressReader on the 2020 crisis