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.

Reacting, the National Publicity Secretaries of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Ini Ememobong, and the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Oladipo Johnson, said the development was expected, adding that the governors involved had made the wrong decisions.

Among the PDP governors who have defected to the APC are Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom State (South-South), Sheriff Oborevwori of Delta State (South-South), Peter Mbah of Enugu State (South-East), Agbu Kefas of Taraba State (North-East), and, most recently, Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State (South-South).

The APC leadership in Kano State has also indicated that the defection of the state governor is imminent.

Beyond the governors, several other prominent politicians—including members of the National Assembly and State Houses of Assembly, as well as former governors, former ministers, and other party leaders—have also defected from the PDP to the APC.