The All Progressives Congress (APC) has confirmed it will adopt a consensus approach to select its national leadership, signaling a strategic move aimed at ensuring unity and smooth outcomes at its upcoming convention.
According to the party, the arrangement reflects internal agreements among stakeholders, while noting that decisions on candidate selection methods for other electoral contests may vary depending on local political dynamics.
The development comes as the APC continues preparations for its convention, with aspirants seeking key leadership positions undergoing screening as part of the process to determine the next set of national officers.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily on Wednesday, Mary Ikoku, Assistant Secretary for Media and Publicity of the APC National Convention 2026, confirmed that the party would adopt consensus for the March 27–28 exercise in Abuja.
“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,” she said.
She added, “At the end of the day, when it comes to elective positions, the persons who would emerge aren’t always those you would make consensus in every space.”
Ikoku also addressed concerns surrounding provisions of the Electoral Act, noting that while the law allows direct primaries and consensus, it has removed indirect primaries, creating challenges for some political parties.
“We have an electoral law that defines the models for these elections. Direct primaries and consensus have been allowed, while indirect primaries have been removed… That reflects levels of unpreparedness among some political parties,” she explained.
Ahead of the convention, the party screened aspirants for National Working Committee positions, including National Chairman hopeful Nentawe Yilwatda and National Secretary aspirant Ajibola Basiru, alongside incumbents such as Dayo Israel, Ali Bukar Dalori, Abdulkarim Abubakar Kana, Mary Alile Idele, and Felix Morka, who are seeking to retain their roles.
