April 23, (THEWILL) — The All Progressives Congress (APC) has rescheduled its presidential primary election to May 23, 2026, unveiling a revised timetable that not only adjusts key dates but also introduces firmer conditions around the contentious issue of consensus candidacy.
The decision, reached at the party’s 186th National Working Committee (NWC) meeting in Abuja on Thursday, signals a deliberate effort to tighten internal processes, minimise disputes, and ensure compliance with electoral regulations as political activity gathers momentum ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Durosinmi Meseko, who announced the development, confirmed that the updated schedule has been formally transmitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), in line with statutory requirements.
Central to the revised framework is a stricter interpretation of consensus primaries.
While the APC retained both direct and consensus options as allowed under the Electoral Act, it introduced a decisive safeguard: unanimity among aspirants is now mandatory.
Under this condition, any single aspirant who declines to endorse a consensus arrangement effectively nullifies the process, triggering an automatic shift to direct primaries.
The move is widely seen as a response to past controversies over candidate imposition and an attempt to strengthen internal democracy within the party.
The updated timetable outlines a compressed but structured sequence of activities. Sale of nomination forms is scheduled to run from April 25 to May 2, 2026, with submission of completed forms closing on May 4.
Screening of aspirants for State Houses of Assembly, House of Representatives, Senate, and governorship positions will take place between May 6 and May 8, while presidential aspirants are slated for screening on May 9.
Results of the screening exercise will be published on May 11, followed by appeals on May 12 and 13.
Primary elections will then proceed in phases: House of Representatives on May 15, Senate on May 18, State Houses of Assembly on May 20, and governorship primaries on May 21. The presidential primary, now fixed for May 23, will conclude the process.
Post-primary appeal committees are expected to sit immediately after each category of elections, a mechanism aimed at resolving disputes swiftly and preventing escalation.
Meseko also addressed speculation suggesting that nomination forms would be restricted to select aspirants, insisting that the process remains open and inclusive.
“Nomination forms for all aspirants seeking offices under the All Progressives Congress are open,” he said, reiterating that all qualified party members are eligible to participate.
On regulatory compliance, the APC disclosed that its updated membership register has been submitted to INEC, a move expected to strengthen its legal standing and reduce the risk of technical challenges to its primaries.
In a related development, the NWC approved a separate timetable for ward, local government, and state congresses in Zamfara State. Screening for ward executive positions begins on April 28, with ward congresses scheduled for April 30, followed by local government and state congresses, while all appeals are to be concluded by May 3.
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