The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has announced direct primary as its mode of election for Saturday’s presidential primary.
Our correspondent, who has been monitoring the party’s primary, reports that this decision followed the party’s inability to reach a consensus to adopt President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as the sole candidate.
A business tycoon, Stanley Osifo, had obtained the presidential form at the cost of N100 million, vowing to slug it out with President Tinubu.
A statement signed late Thursday by the National Secretary of the party, Senator Surajudeen Ajibola Basiru, said the direct primary will be held in each of the 8,809 wards across the country.
According to him, the results of each ward comprised in each of the 774 local government areas will be collated by the local government collation officer to be appointed by the state coordinator, and a collation officer appointed by the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party.
The statement added that the organization and conduct of the direct primary in each of the 36 states and the FCT shall be the responsibility of the state coordinator and collation officer.
They shall also collate the results of all the local governments in the state and present them to the presidential primary election committee in Abuja on May 24, 2026.
Meanwhile, the party has named the former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Pius Anyim, as chairman of the presidential primary election committee, with Mr. Sanusi Musa serving as the secretary.
Other members of the committee are Senator Ken Nnamani, Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba, Otunba Grace Titi Laoye-Ponle, Rt. Hon. Yakubu Dogara, and Idris Wada.
Our correspondent further reports that the party has also appointed state coordinators for all the states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
