APC adopts direct primaries for presidential ticket, names Anyim to lead committee
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has unveiled guidelines and committees for the conduct of its 2026 presidential primary election, adopting a direct primary system that will allow all registered members of the party to participate nationwide.
Under the arrangement announced by the party’s National Secretariat in Abuja, the presidential primary will be conducted across the country’s 8,809 wards on 24 May 2026.
According to the guidelines, every registered APC member will be eligible to vote for the presidential aspirant of their choice during the exercise. Results from each ward will be collated at local government level before transmission to the national collation centre in Abuja.
The party said designated state coordinators and collation officers appointed by its leadership would supervise the conduct of the primaries across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
It added that the provisions contained in the earlier guidelines titled Procedure for the Conduct of Direct and Consensus Mode of Primaries, which were forwarded to the Independent National Electoral Commission on 15 May 2026, would apply to the presidential exercise.
Former Senate President Pius Anyim was named chairman of the Presidential Primary Election Committee.
Other members include former Senate President Ken Nnamani, Victor Ndoma Egba, former deputy governor Grace Titi Laoye Ponle, Yakubu Dogara and Idris Wada, while Sanusi Musa will serve as secretary.
The APC also constituted a Presidential Primary Election Appeal Committee headed by former Senate Leader Ali Ndume, with Samuel Pwajok as secretary and Patricia Etteh as a member.
Several serving and former governors were named as coordinators and collation officers for different states.
Among them is Siminalayi Fubara for Rivers State, coming shortly after his withdrawal from the party’s governorship primary.
Others appointed include Hope Uzodimma, Umo Eno, Douye Diri, Hyacinth Alia, Babagana Zulum, Sheriff Oborevwori, Francis Nwifuru, Monday Okpebholo, Peter Mbah, Umar Namadi and Uba Sani.
Also listed are Babajide Sanwo Olu, Mohammed Umar Bago, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, Caleb Mutfwang, Agbu Kefas, Dauda Lawal and former Osun governor Adegboyega Oyetola.
According to the guidelines, state coordinators and collation officers will oversee the conduct of the direct primary in their assigned states, collate results from local governments and present them to the Presidential Primary Election Committee in Abuja on 24 May.