1 Right-wing leaders with answer for Africans (8) 
RWANDANS - Africans (def) from RW (Right-wing leaders) AND (with) ANS (answer) 

5 Tosses out decrees when democrat is usurped by victor (6) 
EVICTS - Tosses out(def) from EDICTS (decrees) with V replacing D (when democrat is usurped by victor)

9 Statues I smashed in places (8) 
SITUATES - places (def) from anagram (smashed) of STATUES I

10 Crown cover for title held by the Spanish (6) 
ENAMEL - Crown cover (def) from NAME (title) held by EL (the Spanish)

12 Vietnam ambassador captures reptile (5) 
MAMBA - reptile (def) contained in (captrues) VietnaM AMBAssador

13 Short intro to batting thus is essential (9) 
INTRINSIC - is essential (def) from INTR (Short intro) IN (batting) SIC (thus)

14 Small print, material for dope-head (6) 
STONER - dope-head (def) from S (Small) TONER (print material)

16 Following a tax, essentially harsh incarnations (7) 
AVATARS - incarnations (def) from ARS (essentially harsh) following A VAT (tax)

18 Rude military? (7) 
UNCIVIL - Rude (def) military (cryptic def)

20 Impish revolutionary turnkey (6) 
CHEEKY - Impish (def) from CHE (revolutionary) EKY anagram (turn) of KEY

22 Bladder is in drink container (9) 
ISINGLASS - Bladder (def) from IS IN GLASS (drink container)

23 Queen ignored sibling's soup (5) 
BROTH - soup (def) from BROTH(ER) (sibling) without ER (Queen ignored)

24 In an island, joint problem for guinea-pig's relative (6) 
AGOUTI - guinea-pig's relative (def) from GOUT (joint problem) in A (an) I (island)

25 Cake in atrium is crumbled (8) 
TIRAMISU - Cake (def) from anagram (crumbled) of ATRIUM IS

26 Reprimand head leaving to make certain (6) 
ENSURE - make certain (def) from (C)ENSURE (Reprimand head leaving)

27 Puts the squeeze on American footballers abandoned by director (8) 
TIGHTENS - Puts the squeeze on (def) from TIGHT EN(D)S (American footballers) with no D (abandoned by director)

<DOWN>
1 Broadcast to shift focus and continue (6) 
RESUME - continue (def) from homophone (Broadcast) of RE-ZOOM (to shift focus)

2 Goes without saying airmen can be hands-off with these (9,6) 
AUTOMATIC PILOTS - airmen can be hands-off with these (cryptic def) from AUTOMATIC (Goes without saying) PILOTS (airmen)

3 Shot a movie, perhaps (5) 
DRAMA - movie, perhaps (def) from DRAM (Shot) A

4 Wanting more, lack rows without ends (7) 
NEEDIER - Wanting more (more wanting)(def) from NEED (lack) tIERs (rows without ends)

6 Justify point after top volley (9) 
VINDICATE - Justify (def) from INDICATE (point) after V (first of volleys)

7 Undies? (5,4,2,4) 
COMES BACK TO LIFE -  Undies (cryptic def). If something UNDIES it comes back to life

8 Only corrupted SIM protects Tory's blunder in speech (8) 
SOLECISM - blunder in speech (def) from SOLE (Only) anagram (corrupted) of SIM holding (protects) C (Tory)

11 Raising stake for Italian mount (4) 
ETNA - Italian mount (def) from reversal of (Raising) ANTE (stake)

15 Route planner in reversing vehicle with US soldier on list (9) 
NAVIGATOR - Route planner (def) from reversing ROTA (list) GI (soldier) VAN (vehicle)

17 Consider strange tea stirred around home (8) 
RUMINATE - Consider (def) from RUM (strange) ATE anagram (stirred) of TEA around IN (home)

19 Cargo of ore-bearing material announced (4) 
LOAD - Cargo (def) from homophone (announced) of LODE (ore-bearing material)

20 Saturnian scholar held by cleric as sinister (7) 
CASSINI - Saturnian scholar (def) from (held by) cleriC AS SINIster

21 Shows indifference to half of shag floor-coverings (6) 
SHRUGS - Shows indifference (def) from SH (half of shag) RUGS (floor-coverings)

23 Composer taking drug on shore (5) 
BEACH - shore (def) from BACH (Composer) taking E (drug)