Crisis Rocks APC Governors Forum as Faction Moves to Remove Uzodimma, Tinubu Steps In

What looked like a clean political coup inside the All Progressives Congress governors’ bloc has ended before it properly started — with President Bola Tinubu stepping in and 18 APC governors rallying behind Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma.

The drama unfolded over less than 24 hours. On Thursday night, a faction of about 20 APC governors — including those of Ogun, Bayelsa, and Enugu states — met at the Ogun State Governor’s Lodge in Abuja and announced that they had removed Uzodimma as chairman of the Progressive Governors Forum (PGF). They were reportedly touting Enugu Governor Peter Mbah as his replacement.

The Attempted Removal

According to This Day, which first reported the story, the extraordinary meeting came shortly after President Tinubu’s presidential nomination forms were submitted — adding political timing to the intrigue. Sources familiar with the meeting said the decision came after complaints about alleged loss of confidence in Uzodimma, as well as concerns around fund management.

Six of the governors who attended joined by Zoom. The meeting’s attendees included governors from southern states and some northern ones, though the exact list was not officially released.

Tinubu Steps In

The presidency did not sit on the fence. President Tinubu intervened directly to stabilise the situation, The Nation reported Friday. Within hours of the removal announcement, another group of 18 APC governors met in Abuja and issued a clean vote of confidence in Uzodimma.

Kebbi State Governor Nasir Idris moved the motion for the vote of confidence. Governors present or represented at the meeting included those of Lagos, Kaduna, Borno, Ebonyi, Kogi, Kano, Taraba, Yobe, Sokoto, Kebbi, Benue, Jigawa, Ondo, and Nasarawa.

They described the reports of Uzodimma’s removal as “unfortunate misinformation” and said the status quo remained unchanged.

PGF Secretariat Denies Everything

The Progressive Governors Forum secretariat also issued a denial, saying the reported removal had no basis. Premium Times reported that the forum described the claims as “false and baseless.”

As of Friday evening, Uzodimma remained the PGF chairman — at least officially — and the faction that had moved to replace him appeared to have no path forward without presidential backing.

The Politics Behind It

The attempted ouster didn’t happen in a vacuum. APC governors are already jostling for position ahead of the 2027 elections, and the PGF chairmanship carries real influence in how the party’s governors coordinate, fundraise, and signal loyalty. Uzodimma has also been at the centre of controversy — Premium Times published a separate investigation around the same time revealing that Imo state spent N101.5 billion in unapproved funds under his administration.

Whether Friday’s resolution holds, or the underlying tensions resurface closer to 2027, is a different question entirely.

Sources: The Nation, This Day Live, Premium Times, Punch, Vanguard