Delegates of the All Progressives Congress (APC) have begun arriving in Abuja ahead of the party’s 8th National Convention scheduled to hold from Friday, March 27 to Saturday, March 28, 2026.
Speaking at the APC World Media Briefing on Thursday, the Chairman of the Convention Central Coordination Committee, Aminu Masari, defended the party’s decision not to sell nomination forms to certain aspirants. He described complaints from affected individuals as attempts to destabilize the ruling party.
Masari stated that the APC operates a zoning system in line with Nigeria’s federal character principle, emphasizing that party positions are allocated across designated zones. According to him, only aspirants contesting for positions zoned to their respective regions were eligible to purchase nomination forms.
“APC is a responsible Nigerian party. In line with federal character, all offices are zoned,” he said. “If a position is designated for a particular zone and someone from another zone attempts to purchase a form, it raises concerns about their intentions.”
He added that such actions could be interpreted as efforts to create confusion within the party, stressing that the APC would not tolerate any moves aimed at undermining its structure.
Masari further noted that the party was not aware of any legal action taken by aggrieved aspirants, stating that no court documents had been served. He assured that the party would respond appropriately if any formal legal processes were initiated.
The briefing was attended by several top government and party officials, including the Minister of Arts, Culture, Tourism and Creative Economy, Hannatu Musawa; Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo; Vice Chairman of the Central Committee, Pius Anyim; Special Adviser to the President on Media and Public Communication, Sunday Dare; and Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.
The APC convention is expected to bring together party leaders and stakeholders from across the country as preparations intensify for key internal decisions ahead of future political engagements.
