The Allied People’s Movement (APM) has insisted that it is not experiencing an internal crisis following a move by its South-South state chairmen and candidates to oppose the party’s presidential candidate, Seyi Makinde.
The party officials reportedly boycotted a presidential town hall meeting in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, and passed a vote of no confidence in Makinde, accusing him of sidelining state party structures and failing to consult key stakeholders.
The aggrieved chairmen have yet to decide their position on the presidential election, raising questions about the level of support for Makinde within the party in the South-South region.
However, the APM National Publicity Secretary played down the disagreement, describing the Uyo meeting as successful and expressing confidence that the grievances would be addressed.
He attributed the dispute to misinformation and maintained that Makinde enjoyed significant goodwill in the region.
“We are emboldened by the appreciation of the people of the South-South, who welcomed their own with huge support,” the spokesman said.
Defending the presidential candidate’s connection to the region, he noted that Makinde had worked in Edo, Delta, Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa and Rivers states. He also cited Makinde’s marriage to a woman from the Niger Delta as evidence of his personal ties to the area.
The spokesman acknowledged the chairmen’s actions but argued that the disagreement would not undermine the party.
“There is no problem with the action of the chairmen. We agreed to disagree, even though they have gone too far. It will be resolved,” he said.
The Forum of APM State Chairmen in the South-South, however, accused Makinde of running his campaign without adequate consultation with state leaders, recognition of established party structures or engagement with the party hierarchy.
The reported boycott and vote of no confidence highlight growing tensions between the presidential campaign and party officials in the region over their role in campaign activities and decision-making.
Despite the development, the party’s national leadership maintained that Makinde remained committed to the APM’s Reset Agenda.
According to the spokesman, the agenda seeks to address poverty, economic hardship and what the party described as maladministration under the current administration.
The APM expressed optimism that the dispute would be resolved, dismissing suggestions that the disagreement signalled a division within its ranks.
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