The leading All Progressives Congress(APC) has confirmed that it plans to adopt a consensus approach for selecting its national leadership during the party’s convention scheduled for March 27–28, 2026, in Abuja.
In an interview on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily on Wednesday, Mary Ikoku, the Assistant Secretary for Media and Publicity for the APC National Convention 2026, revealed the development.
Ikoku stated that the APC had not yet made a decision on how to handle elective seats during primaries, pointing out that choices might differ based on regional political circumstances.
She explained, “APC, for this convention, I am aware and can say that the party is adopting consensus for this convention. As to whether they are adopting consensus for elective positions, I do not have an answer to that because politics is local.
“So, I believe that, at the end of the day, when it comes to the issue of elective positions, the persons who would emerge aren’t often what you would want to make consensus in every space.”
Ikoku also discussed the rules of the Electoral Act, which mandate that political parties establish appropriate candidate selection procedures and register members online within a certain amount of time.
Although these restrictions presented difficulties for some parties, she said they demonstrated preparedness—or lack thereof.
“We have an electoral law that defines the models for these elections. Direct primaries and consensus have been allowed, while indirect primaries have been taken out.
“That is the current law of the nation, passed and assented to. Now, why do you think other political parties will have issues with that?” she asked.
“That would be to say there are levels of unpreparedness of these political parties. Any political party that is worth its salt should not wait till election season to start preparing for the run for office and all of these congresses.
“It is something they would have planned ahead of time. So, when you are not proactive as a party, these kinds of situations can challenge you deeply,” she added.
Ahead of the convention, the APC had commenced vetting candidates for important roles in its National Working Committee, such as National Secretary candidate Ajibola Basiru and National Chairman candidate Nentawe Yilwatda.
National Youth Leader Dayo Israel, Deputy National Chairman (North) Ali Bukar Dalori, National Legal Advisor Abdulkarim Abubakar Kana, National Woman Leader Mary Alile Idele, and National Publicity Secretary Felix Morka are among the other NWC members vying to keep their positions.
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