The All Progressives Congress (APC) has assembled a high-powered team of political heavyweights, including Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara and several other sitting governors, to oversee its upcoming 2026 presidential primary election as the ruling party ramps up preparations for the major contest.
According to guidelines issued by the party’s National Secretariat in Abuja, the APC confirmed that the presidential primary will utilize the direct primary system on May 24, 2026.
This system grants all registered party members across the nation’s 8,809 wards the opportunity to cast their votes for their preferred presidential aspirant.
The ruling party noted that designated coordinators and collation officers chosen by the APC leadership will oversee the voting exercise across all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
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Among the high-profile appointments is Governor Fubara, who was designated as the coordinator and collation officer for Rivers State.
This assignment comes on the heels of his reported withdrawal from the party’s governorship primary on Wednesday.
Former Senate President Pius Anyim has been chosen to head the Presidential Primary Election Committee as its chairman.
The committee features prominent members including former Senate President Ken Nnamani, Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba, former deputy governor Grace Titi Laoye-Ponle, former Speaker Yakubu Dogara, and former Kogi State governor Idris Wada, with Senator Sanusi Musa slated to act as the committee’s secretary.
Additionally, the APC has set up a Presidential Primary Election Appeal Committee under the leadership of former Senate Leader Ali Ndume. Samuel Pwajok will serve as the panel’s secretary, while former Speaker of the House of Representatives Patricia Etteh joins as a member.
A significant number of serving governors have also been drafted to manage operations as coordinators and collation officers within their respective states.
The list of governors includes Hope Uzodimma, Umo Eno, Douye Diri, Hyacinth Alia, Babagana Zulum, Sheriff Oborevwori, Monday Okpebholo, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Mohammed Umar Bago, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, Caleb Mutfwang, Agbu Kefas, Dauda Lawal, alongside former Osun State governor Adegboyega Oyetola.
The party emphasized that every registered APC member holds eligibility to cast a ballot in the nationwide primary.
Results recorded at individual wards will be gathered at the local government levels before being forwarded to the national collation centre situated in Abuja.
Read Also: 2027: Fubara Joins Rivers Governorship Race Under NDC
The APC further detailed that ward-level tallies from across the federation will undergo collation at both local government and state levels before the final data is presented to the main Presidential Primary Election Committee in Abuja.
“The organisation of conduct of the direct primary in each of the 36 states and the FCT shall be the responsibility of the State Coordinator and Collation Officer, who shall also collate the results of all the local governments in the state and present the same to the Presidential Primary Election Committee in Abuja, FCT on 24 May, 2026.”
“The provisions of the ‘Procedure for the Conduct of Direct and Consensus Mode of Primaries’ earlier issued and forwarded to the Independent National Electoral Committee under the cover of a letter dated 15 May 2026 with reference No: APC/NHDQ/INEC/PRYS-DOCS/01-05/26 shall also apply mutatis mutandis,” the document signed by the APC National Secretary, Senator Ajibola Basiru, partly read.
