Acting National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Ali Dalori, has dismissed the possibility of an Atiku-Obi-led opposition coalition unseating the ruling party in the 2027 general elections, saying the APC remains solid and united despite internal challenges.
Dalori, who officially assumed leadership on Monday following the resignation of former chairman Abdullahi Ganduje, said his priority is to reconcile aggrieved members and strengthen the party from the grassroots to the national level.
“I must rise and show all APC politicians that I have done my best to reconcile those who have had issues with one another,” Dalori said in an interview with BBC Hausa.
“I will sit with them or appoint representatives who will go and meet them to prepare for this journey, which is greater than before, because politics needs people, and people need to be cared for in politics.”
Dalori, who previously served as the party’s Deputy National Chairman (North), acknowledged that APC faces difficulties, especially at the state level, pointing to emerging tensions in the North-East.
However, he insisted that the party remains cohesive and committed to retaining power at the federal level.
“Politics inherited this — our mouths are one, our heads are together, and we are still working with all of them,” he said.
On opposition efforts to form a coalition ahead of the 2027 elections, Dalori was dismissive, suggesting the alliance lacks depth and popular support.
“Nobody is talking about a coalition except in Abuja. Even in Abuja, they are in a hotel, and when they are defeated in elections, they will leave the country,” he said.
Dalori also claimed that fear over political futures prompted several opposition politicians to defect to the APC.
“I’m not hiding anything — they were afraid. If they had stayed there, they wouldn’t contest elections. They joined us so that their needs could be met,” he added.
He reiterated that the APC is not under any threat of disintegration and said internal mechanisms are being activated to ensure stability.
“I believe the expected implosion will not happen because we have sewn it together with a strong thread that will not break.”
Dalori also addressed the upcoming National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting, slated for July 24, where a substantive national chairman is expected to be nominated.
He clarified that while no date has been fixed for a national convention, stakeholder consultations are ongoing.
“There are elders we must consult, and they are the ones to give the directive on whether the convention should hold or not,” he said.
The emergency NEC meeting was convened following the resignation of Ganduje last Friday amid rising internal and public pressure.
