The All Progressives Congress (APC) has pledged to organise a transparent and credible 2026 National Convention with the convention planning committee of the party, saying the exercise is expected to establish a standard for future leadership transitions within the ruling party.
The commitment was made during the inaugural meeting of the APC National Convention Planning Committee in Abuja. The committee is chaired by former Katsina State Governor and former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Bello Masari, who was appointed to coordinate preparations for the convention.
Speaking after the meeting, Bello Masari said the committee understood the expectations surrounding the convention and would approach its responsibilities with fairness, inclusiveness and adherence to the party’s established rules.
He said the objective was to deliver a convention that would strengthen the APC’s internal structures and improve confidence in its processes ahead of the 2027 general elections.
“The expectation of Nigerians, the party faithful and the President is that we should produce the best convention ever,” He said. He added that the committee also had a responsibility to create a template that could guide future APC conventions.
Bello Masari’s comments reflected an earlier commitment made by APC National Chairman Nentawe Yilwatda when he inaugurated the convention committee in Abuja. Yilwatda described the convention as more than a routine party gathering, saying it represented an opportunity to reinforce internal democracy and organisational development within the APC.
The committee chairman also promised that personal interests would not be allowed to undermine the process. He said members would work to ensure that the convention was conducted in an orderly manner and that the party emerged from the exercise with greater unity.
Reports from the committee’s inauguration says Masari pledged strict adherence to the APC constitution and relevant guidelines. He also said the committee would undertake broad consultations while working with the party’s National Working Committee and other organs to coordinate the preparations effectively.
The planning structure brought together several senior political figures. Among those associated with the committee were former Senate President Anyim Pius Anyim, Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma, Yobe State Governor Mai Mala Buni and other senior party stakeholders.
The involvement of senior party officials and political figures underscored the importance the APC attached to the convention as it prepared for the next electoral cycle. The party leadership said the process would require coordination among its various organs and compliance with its constitutional provisions.
Yilwatda had also urged members of the convention committee to place the broader interests of the party above personal considerations. He said the National Working Committee and the wider party structure would support the committee in carrying out its assignment.
The committee’s mandate included coordinating the activities leading to the national convention and helping to ensure that the exercise was peaceful, credible and properly organised. Masari described a national convention as an important moment for reflection, consolidation and renewal within a political party.
The convention was also viewed within the wider political context of the APC’s preparations for the 2027 general elections. As the governing party, its choice of national officers and the manner in which those positions are filled can influence its organisational structure and political strategy ahead of subsequent elections.
The APC’s assurances therefore placed considerable emphasis on transparency, fairness and internal democratic procedures. While the committee expressed confidence in its ability to meet those expectations, the actual credibility of any convention ultimately depends on how its rules are applied and how delegates, aspirants and other stakeholders experience the process.
The preparations eventually culminated in the APC’s 2026 National Convention at Eagle Square in Abuja on March 27, 2026. At that convention, Nentawe Yilwatda was returned as national chairman, while Surajudeen Ajibola Basiru emerged as national secretary, with other national officers also selected through a consensus arrangement ratified by delegates.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who attended the convention, later commended the planning committee led by Masari and said its organisation had set a new standard for service. The development marked the completion of the process that had begun with the committee’s inauguration and its pledge to organise a credible national convention.
The 2026 APC convention consequently became an important organisational event for the party as it moved into the period leading to the 2027 elections. The commitments made by the planning committee before the convention placed transparency, internal democracy, coordination and party unity at the centre of the exercise.
