Convention: As APC Moves to Return Yilwatda, Other NWC Members…

The National Convention of the All Progressives Congress scheduled to hold on Friday and Saturday will be devoid of drama, scheming, anxiety and serious politicking as the ruling party has resolved to return the current members of the National Working Committee through voice vote. Adedayo Akinwale reports.

All is set for the National Convention of the All Progressives Congress (APC) scheduled to hold on Friday, March 27 and Saturday, March 28, 2026 following the screening of aspirants for various National Working Committee (NWC) positions.

Interestingly, this would be the first time a ruling party would have 32 governors in its fold going into a general election.

In spite of this, the ruling party has decided not to rock the boat to avoid any intended crisis and implosion leading to next year’s general election.

It is on this premise that the ruling party decided to stick with the current members of the NWC and asked them to “bow and go”.

This singular decision of the party to adopt a consensus agreement and allow the current NWC members to continue in their respective positions has made the forthcoming convention lose its drama, suspense, scheming, politicking, anxiety and any form of surprise that may happen before or during the convention.

Prior to the screening of aspirants, the party assured all contestants for various national offices of fairness and justice, saying no aspirant would be victimised during the process.

Chairman of the Aspirants’ Screening Sub-committee of the APC National Convention, 2026 and Governor of Ekiti state, Biodun  Oyebanji gave the assurance at the inaugural meeting of the panel in Abuja on Monday.

He assured that the committee would be guided by the guidelines, constitution of the party and the Electoral Act in carrying out its assignment.

 “We are going to be transparent. We are going to be fair. We are going to be just to all of them (aspirants). They are party members and the party has guidelines that guide what we’re going to do.  We are going to do everything in accordance with the constitution of the party and Electoral Act. So they don’t have anything to fear,” Oyebanji said.

At the end of the day, the Screening Committee cleared the National Chairman of the party, Nentawe Yilwatda; National Secretary, Ajibola Basiru; Deputy National Chairman (North), Hon. Abubakar Dalori (Borno); Deputy National Chairman (South), Emma Eneukwu (Enugu) and Deputy National Secretary: Prof. Abdulkarim Kana (Nasarawa).

Others cleared by the committee are National Vice Chairman (North Central), Mu’azu  Rijau (Niger); Deputy Vice Chairman (North East), Dr. Mustapha Salihu (Adamawa); National Vice Chairman (North West); Hon. Mohammed Datti (Kaduna); National Vice Chairman (South East); Dr Ijeomah Arodiogbu (Imo), National Vice Chairman (South South),  Hon. Victor  Giadom (Rivers).

Also cleared are National Vice Chairman (South West), Isaac Kekemeke (Ondo); National Legal Adviser, Muritala Kankia (Katsina); National Treasurer: Uguru Ofoke (Ebonyi); Deputy National Organizing Secretary, Hon. Nze Duru and an aspirant for the position of National Welfare Officer, Hon. Anyanwu Nduka, among others.

Speaking with newsmen after the screening, Yilwatda said the ruling party believes in members of the party and not friends of the party. He added that there are obligations the party has for its members, which he respects as a system and party person.

He noted that unlike other political parties where members of the convention committee make contrary statements, arguing among themselves, and sometimes fighting over issues, he has not seen anything like that in the convention committee and all the sub committees.

According to him: “We’ve seen growth in the party, and it’s not a one-man’s job. Some of you here have been part of the people who reached out to leaders that were brought back into APC.

“We’ve also seen the deepening of technology. The registration of the membership has given us more data-driven positioning of the party. It is now that we’ve known that our party is more youth-driven than any other party.”

On his part, Duru said contrary to perception, Friday’s convention is not a coronation but a consensus arrangement.

His words: “I would like to say that it is majorly consensus. It also underpins the basic tenet for which APC is known for. As much as possible, building a consensus, bringing people together behind the scene, working harder to ensure that there is no rupture and there is no implosion, as people would like to have it.

“It does not mean that there are no contests. It doesn’t mean that there are no disagreements. But once the party has the internal mechanism, there can only be one person that occupies an office, it cannot be two, and if it is two, it makes it a lot more easier.”

Also, the National Secretary of the party said the committee acknowledged what they have been doing since they have been in the saddle from August 2023.

Basiru stressed that they were charged to continue to work towards making the party cohesive and to ensure fairness and justice to all party members.

He noted: “So, by and large, when you are going to the party and you are contesting for the same position, it will be a double-edged sword.

“There will be an albatross if you are not giving a good account. We thank God that since we took over the mantle of leadership, salutary development has occurred in our party. Even before the amendment of the electoral act, we were able to drive registration which brought party members to about 12 million.

“We have also been able to ensure a functional and effective secretariat for our party, with an efficient and a group-based capital of enlarging capacity of the party.

“Of course, in terms of the process of the party, the conduct of primaries and organisation of activities, we have been able to ensure that we have brought a seamless and a safe-lying competence into that office.

“As I told the screening committee, one of the tasks that we have to do is to consolidate the strength of the party, and of course to ensure that our party structure, from the polling units up to the national convention, becomes very active.

“Particularly, the National Advisory Council of our party needs to be activated immediately after the convention. And we believe that if we activate all our structures, make them functionally efficient, APC will continue to remain forward with electoral friction and democratic consolidation.”