The All Progressives Congress (APC) has officially declared that it will adopt the direct primary mode for its upcoming 2026 presidential primary election.
This strategic decision guarantees that every single registered member of the party across the country will have the opportunity to vote for the flagbearer who will represent the APC in the 2027 presidential election.
This announcement comes right on the heels of the party completing its screening process for presidential hopefuls.
The presidential primary is part of a larger, ongoing nationwide election cycle within the party, which kicked off last Friday with the House of Representatives primaries, followed by the Senate primaries on Monday, and is moving steadily through the state assemblies, governorship, and presidential phases.
Confirming the latest update, the APC National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, released an official statement detailing the strict guidelines for the exercise alongside the newly inaugurated committees tasked with managing the high-stakes event.
The party’s National Secretary, Ajibola Basiru, appended his signature to the official guidelines, emphasizing that the National Working Committee (NWC) greenlit the plans to align with the party’s legal framework and its total commitment to delivering a process that is fair to all.
The logistics setup confirms that voting will happen at the exact same time across all 8,809 wards in the country. Currently, the race features just two contenders: the incumbent leader, President Bola Tinubu, and an Edo State trader named Stanley Osifo.
Once voting concludes at the ward level, the results will be compiled at the local government headquarters before moving up to state coordinators. The final numbers are expected to hit the main Presidential Primary Election Committee desk in Abuja by May 24.
The APC high command has placed a powerhouse of veteran politicians in charge of the main committee, appointing former Senate President Pius Anyim to lead the team.
The committee also includes prominent political figures like Ken Nnamani, Victor Ndoma-Egba, Yakubu Dogara, Idris Wada, and Grace Titi Laoye-Ponle, with Sanusi Musa coordinating affairs as the secretary.
To handle any fallout or petitions arising from the vote, a separate appeal panel will be led by former Katsina State Governor Aminu Bello Masari, working closely with Samuel Piwuna as secretary and former House of Representatives Speaker Patricia Etteh.
To ensure things run smoothly on the ground across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, the ruling party has deployed heavyweights—including serving governors and ministers—to act as state coordinators and collation officers.
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Among the notable appointments are Governor Hope Uzodimma for Imo, Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq for Kwara, Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri for Adamawa, Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf for Kano, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu for Lagos, Governor Siminalayi Fubara for Rivers, and the Coordinating Minister of Health, Muhammad Ali Pate, for Bauchi State.
Other key deployments feature Adegboyega Oyetola for Osun, Teslim Folarin for Oyo, Benjamin Kalu for Abia, and Phillip Aduda for the FCT.
The party made it clear that these individuals will hold full responsibility for organizing and overseeing the direct voting process in their designated locations.
