APC Adopts Direct Primary for Presidential Election, Appoints Fubara, Govs as Coordinators

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has unveiled guidelines and committees for its 2026 presidential primary, adopting a direct primary system that will allow all registered party members to participate in the exercise nationwide.

According to a document released by the party’s National Secretariat in Abuja, the presidential primary is scheduled to hold across the country’s 8,809 wards on May 24, 2026.

The party stated that all registered APC members would be eligible to vote for their preferred presidential aspirant during the exercise.

Results from each ward are expected to be collated at the local government level before transmission to the national collation centre in Abuja.

The APC also disclosed that designated state coordinators and collation officers would supervise the conduct of the primaries across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.

The party noted that previously issued guidelines on the conduct of direct and consensus primaries, already submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), would also apply to the presidential exercise.

Former Senate President Pius Anyim was named chairman of the Presidential Primary Election Committee, while Senator Ali Ndume will head the appeal committee.

Several serving and former governors were also appointed as state coordinators and collation officers.

Among those named are Siminalayi Fubara, who recently withdrew from the party’s governorship primary, alongside Hope Uzodimma, Umo Eno, Douye Diri, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, and several others.

The APC said the coordinators would oversee the organisation of the direct primary process in their assigned states and submit collated results to the Presidential Primary Election Committee in Abuja.