ABUJA, Nigeria — State chairmen of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) in the South-East have rejected the appointment of zonal and state coordinators for the Seyi Makinde–Lawan Daura Presidential Campaign Council, accusing the arrangement of sidelining recognised party executives and creating parallel leadership structures.
The chairmen made their position known in a communiqué read by the Enugu State APM Chairman, Ken Ikeh, at a press conference in Abuja on Sunday, October 18, 2026.
The communiqué was signed by the party chairmen in Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu and Imo states: Victor Umunna, Uzochukwu Eminent, Ohakam Kate, Ken Ikeh and Clinton Edoziem, respectively.
Although the five chairmen reaffirmed their support for Makinde’s presidential ambition and the party’s RESET Nigeria agenda, they objected to the establishment of campaign structures without adequate consultation with recognised state executives.
They argued that the arrangement undermined internal democracy, collective responsibility and the authority of established party organs.
The chairmen warned that operating parallel structures could generate confusion, encourage unnecessary rivalry and weaken the party’s unity ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
They called on Makinde and the party’s national leadership to dissolve the disputed state coordinatorship structures and empower recognised state chairmen to manage campaign activities within their respective states.
The group also demanded that campaign vehicles, branded equipment, publicity materials and other logistical resources intended for mobilisation in the South-East be handed over to the respective state chairmen for distribution and use.
The chairmen urged the party’s national leadership and Senator Bala Mohammed to intervene urgently to resolve the disagreement.
They warned that failure to address their concerns satisfactorily could compel them to reconsider their participation in the current campaign arrangement.
The dispute follows the campaign organisation’s announcement on October 1 of six zonal coordinators to oversee mobilisation across Nigeria’s geopolitical zones, including Sir Obi Okechukwu for the South-East. The campaign organisation subsequently announced state-level appointments.
The disagreement highlights an emerging organisational challenge for the APM as it prepares for the 2027 general election, with the South-East chairmen insisting that campaign coordination must respect existing party structures.
