The breakaway faction, known as Reformed APC, is led by Buba Galadima, a former ally of President Muhammadu Buhari. Members of the splinter group say that the president's government is incompetent.

Their emergence is seen as a major threat to Mr Buhari’s bid for a second term in office.

The statement from the APC National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, continues:

Having failed to scuttle the National Convention as was their original plan, they now resort to this subterfuge as a way of achieving the pre-determined end of causing confusion.

As a matter of fact, we doubt that these individuals parading as leaders of the so-called faction are actual members of of our party. We are currently investigating their true membership status within the party."