The All Progressives Congress, APC, held its landmark National Convention in March 2026, bringing together every tier of the party’s leadership to solidify its internal structures and chart the roadmap for future governance in Nigeria. The convention was not just a procedural gathering; it was the manifestation of years of political negotiation, consensus-building, and strategic placements, reflecting the careful orchestration of a party that has grown into one of the dominant forces in Nigerian politics. Every decision, every committee appointment, and every role assigned during this period held political weight, as APC sought to ensure inclusivity, minimize post-convention tensions, and consolidate authority across its national, zonal, and state-level structures.
This article provides a complete breakdown of the APC National Working Committee, its statutory and deputy officers, the zonal leadership, and the 73-member National Convention Committee that coordinated the March 2026 convention. Every name listed represents a piece of a complex political puzzle that underpins Nigeria’s ruling party as it enters the next phase of governance.
Core Leadership of the APC National Working Committee
At the very top of the APC hierarchy is the Core Leadership, responsible for the overall direction, decision-making, and representation of the party at the national level. These roles are crucial because they serve as the face of the APC, the final arbiters of policy implementation, and the chief negotiators for internal disputes.
National Chairman: Prof. Nentawe Goshwe Yilwatda leads the committee, presiding over meetings, ensuring adherence to party constitution, and mediating between conflicting interests. His leadership style has been described as methodical and consultative, balancing party unity with political pragmatism.
Deputy National Chairman (North): Hon. Ali Bukar Dalori serves as the northern representative, ensuring that the geopolitical interests of northern states are adequately represented in party decisions.
Deputy National Chairman (South): Chief Emma Eneukwu performs a similar role for the southern states, bridging communication and policy execution between northern and southern wings of the party.
National Secretary: Sen. Surajudeen Ajibola Basiru functions as the principal administrator, responsible for minute keeping, official correspondence, and the documentation of all resolutions passed during committee meetings.
These four positions form the heartbeat of the APC National Working Committee, coordinating complex political processes, aligning internal factions, and ensuring that every decision made carries legitimacy and strategic foresight.
Statutory National Officers: Legal, Financial, and Organizational Pillars
The APC constitution mandates a set of statutory officers who maintain the operational, legal, and financial integrity of the party. These roles are critical because they underpin the administrative efficiency of the APC, making sure that every financial transaction is accountable and every legal matter is appropriately managed.
Administrative and Legal:
National Legal Adviser: Prof. Abdulkarim Abubakar Kana oversees the legal compliance of party activities and provides counsel on disputes, electoral regulations, and internal disciplinary matters.
National Auditor: Sen. Abubakar Maikafi ensures that all financial reports are accurate, providing transparency and maintaining stakeholder confidence in the party’s fiscal integrity.
Finance and Accounts:
National Treasurer: Mr. Matthew Uguru Ofoke manages revenue collection, budget allocation, and monitoring of party expenditures across all levels.
National Financial Secretary: Alh. Bashir Usman Gumel coordinates reporting and accounting, guaranteeing that party funds are properly disbursed and accounted for during both ordinary operations and special events such as conventions.
Organization and Public Affairs:
National Organising Secretary: Alh. Suleiman Muhammad Argungu supervises mobilization, campaign coordination, and membership drives.
National Publicity Secretary: Barr. Felix Morka manages the party’s messaging, media relations, and public communications strategy.
Welfare and Mobilization:
National Welfare Secretary: Hon. Donatus Nwankpa focuses on the internal welfare of party members.
National Women Leader: Dr. Mary Alile Idele ensures female representation and advocates for women’s political empowerment within the party.
National Youth Leader: Abdullahi Dayo Israel coordinates youth engagement and ensures the party remains attractive to young Nigerians.
National Leader, Persons Living With Disabilities: Hon. Durotolu Oyebode Bankole provides leadership and advocacy for inclusivity and representation of differently-abled party members.
Each statutory officer, while specialized in their domain, collaborates closely with the core leadership to maintain a functional and coherent party infrastructure.
Deputy National Officers and Their Strategic Importance
Deputy roles within the APC NWC were designed to enhance redundancy, ensure operational continuity, and extend the party’s reach to multiple constituencies. These positions allow for shared responsibility and prevent bottlenecks in critical functional areas.
Deputies in Financial and Publicity Structure:
Deputy National Financial Secretary: Hon. Hamma-Adama Ali Kumo supports the National Financial Secretary in fiscal management, budget monitoring, and compliance oversight.
Deputy National Publicity Secretary: Hon. Durosinmi Meseko assists in media relations, event publicity, and strategic communications.
Deputy National Publicity Secretary (additional): Nze Chidi Duru further reinforces the publicity function, ensuring that multiple platforms and channels are coordinated effectively.
Women Wing Deputy:
Deputy National Women Leader: Hajiya Zainab Ibrahim extends the work of the National Women Leader, focusing on grassroots mobilization, mentorship, and participation of women in party politics.
The deputies serve both as a training ground for future leaders and as operational backups, making the APC a party that prioritizes continuity and inclusivity in leadership functions.
Zonal Vice Chairmen: Geopolitical Representation
APC recognizes the importance of regional balance, and zonal vice chairmen provide direct linkage between the national leadership and party structures within Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones. These roles are crucial for maintaining party cohesion across ethnically and politically diverse areas.
North-West: Garba Datti Muhammad ensures coordination across states in the northwest, representing local interests at the national level.
North-East: Ali Bukar Dalori served in this role before his elevation to Deputy Chairman North, demonstrating upward mobility from zonal to national leadership.
North-Central: Prof. Abdulkarim Kana previously handled zonal responsibilities, bridging northern interests in legal and administrative matters.
South-West: Chief D. I. Kekemeke manages liaison activities, ensuring southern west states are integrated into national decisions.
South-South: Victor Giadom, formerly acting chairman, continues to serve as the zonal vice chairman, linking southern states to the central strategy.
South-East: Dr. Ijeoma Arodiogbu coordinates political mobilization, policy feedback, and representation for the south-east zone.
These zonal leaders are critical in pre-empting disputes, ensuring equitable resource allocation, and facilitating communication between the national committee and local branches.
APC 2026 National Convention Committee: Leadership and Strategic Oversight
The APC 2026 National Convention Committee, consisting of 73 members, was the central body responsible for planning, logistics, accreditation, and political negotiations ahead of the convention. This committee represented a careful balancing of power, ensuring that every key stakeholder within the party had a voice.
Committee Leadership:
Chairman: Hope Uzodimma, Governor of Imo State, led the committee, providing strategic direction and mediating between various factions to prevent disputes.
Vice Chairman: AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, Governor of Kwara State, assisted in oversight and ensured coordination across zones and committees.
Secretary: Mai Mala Buni, former APC national chairman, handled documentation, minute keeping, and official reporting to the National Working Committee and the party secretariat.
The leadership trio ensured that operations ran smoothly, from accreditation of delegates to resolving conflicts between competing political blocs, guaranteeing a transparent and orderly convention.
Serving Governors on the Committee: Political Weight and Influence
All serving APC governors were included in the convention committee, reflecting the party’s desire to align state-level leadership with national objectives. Their inclusion ensured that regional interests were represented and that the convention maintained legitimacy across the country.
List of Governors on the Committee:
Umo Bassey Eno – Akwa Ibom State played a key role in coordinating southern states’ inputs.
Douye Diri – Bayelsa State represented the party’s South-South interests.
Hyacinth Alia – Benue State provided north-central perspectives, bridging regional concerns.
Babagana Umara Zulum – Borno State brought experience from a northern frontier state with complex security dynamics.
Bassey Otu – Cross River State worked on maintaining unity among southern delegates.
Sheriff Oborevwori – Delta State contributed insight on the South-South geopolitical balance.
Francis Nwifuru – Ebonyi State represented South-East considerations and mobilization.
Monday Okpebholo – Edo State facilitated coordination across mixed ethnic constituencies.
Abiodun Oyebanji – Ekiti State, Peter Mbah – Enugu State, Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya – Gombe State, and other governors each brought their respective state perspectives, ensuring equitable representation and smooth integration of all local party structures into national planning.
By involving all serving governors, the APC guaranteed that the convention reflected the party’s federal footprint, and that no significant political bloc would feel marginalized.
Former APC National Chairmen and Party Elders
Inclusion of former national chairmen and senior party elders served both symbolic and functional purposes. These individuals carry institutional memory, historical knowledge of internal party disputes, and the moral authority to advise and mediate.
Bisi Akande, Adams Oshiomhole, Abdullahi Adamu, and Abdullahi Umar Ganduje were integral in providing counsel, reconciling factions, and legitimizing leadership transitions. Their presence reassured grassroots members that decisions were anchored in party tradition, while also serving as a stabilizing force during negotiations over sensitive posts.
These elders acted as bridges between past and present, offering continuity and reducing the risk of factional rebellion.
National Assembly Leadership and Legislative Representation
Legislative leaders were key to ensuring the party’s strategy aligned with parliamentary influence. Their involvement was critical because the National Assembly controls lawmaking and oversight, which can directly impact the party’s agenda.
Current National Assembly Leaders Included:
Godswill Akpabio – Senate President, whose political influence in both the legislature and APC hierarchy was essential.
Tajudeen Abbas – Speaker of the House of Representatives, overseeing coordination among House members and facilitating legislative alignment.
Barau Jibrin – Deputy Senate President and Benjamin Kalu – Deputy Speaker, who ensured operational continuity and represented legislative interests in committee deliberations.
Former Legislative Leaders:
Former Senate Presidents: Anyim Pius Anyim, Ken Nnamani, Ahmed Lawan
Former House Speakers: Aminu Bello Masari, Patricia Etteh, Dimeji Bankole, Yakubu Dogara, Femi Gbajabiamila
Their inclusion allowed the committee to navigate complex legislative considerations, integrate historical lessons, and secure buy-in from experienced political operators.
Senators, House Members, and Party Leaders
Beyond top executives, the committee included a wide range of serving senators, representatives, and senior party operatives to ensure inclusivity:
Senators and Senior Party Figures:
Michael Opeyemi Bamidele, Mohammed Tahir Monguno, Oyelola Ashiru, Onyeka Nwebonyi, Solomon Adeola, Ovie Omo-Agege, Sani Musa, Leonard Agom Jarigbe, Uche Ekwunife
Members of the House of Representatives and Party Leaders:
Idris Wase, Babangida Nguroje, Julius Ihonvbere, Usman Bello Kumo, Abdullahi Ibrahim Ali Halims, Ibrahim Isiaka, Kabir Bichi, Jimi Benson, James Faleke, Boma Goodhead
These members ensured that the committee had operational representation across all legislative levels, allowing the APC to implement procedural rules efficiently and guarantee that delegate accreditation, voting, and resolutions were conducted without ambiguity.
Other Political Appointees and Former Office Holders
The committee also included ministers, former governors, and other stakeholders who contribute to the APC’s broader governance network. Their presence balanced party politics with administrative experience:
Philip Shaibu, Akintunde Adegboye, Bala Mustapha, Ibrahim Kabiru Masari, Atiku Bagudu, Christopher Musa (Rtd.), Mohammed Idris Malagi, Ibrahim Gaidam, Abdulazeez Yari
This ensured that key administrative experience, knowledge of bureaucratic systems, and strategic advisory capacity were available to the convention, making decision-making both credible and actionable.
Strategic Significance of the 73-Member Committee
The 73-member structure was deliberately designed to balance multiple power blocs within APC. Its composition reflects careful inclusion of:
All serving governors, ensuring state-level perspectives are represented
National Assembly leadership, securing legislative alignment
Former Senate Presidents and Speakers, providing historical insight and authority
Former National Chairmen, offering guidance, legitimacy, and continuity
Senior party figures, ministers, and appointees, bridging political operations with governance experience
This deliberate structure helped mitigate post-convention disputes, ensured equitable representation across zones, and allowed the APC to present a unified front ahead of national campaigns and governance planning.
Political Negotiation Strategies of the APC 2026 Convention Committee
Political negotiation was at the heart of the APC 2026 National Convention because internal cohesion determined both the legitimacy of leadership elections and the party’s stability heading into 2027 general elections. The committee employed several layered strategies:
Delegate Alignment and Accreditation:
Every state has thousands of delegates, and ensuring that delegates were loyal to the national leadership was critical. The committee oversaw credential verification, worked with zonal vice chairmen, and vetted local government endorsements. This minimized the risk of parallel congresses or multiple delegate lists, which could have triggered legal challenges.
By carefully managing accreditation, the committee ensured that all regions, ethnic groups, and factions within APC had representation without allowing any single bloc to dominate unfairly.
Factional Mediation and Power Balancing:
The committee included former chairmen, ex-governors, and political elders whose primary role was mediation. When disputes arose over positions, nominations, or voting procedures, these elders acted as trusted arbitrators.
Factions within the party, sometimes divided along regional or ideological lines, were given symbolic and practical roles in committees, ensuring that all power blocs felt included. This was particularly important for southern and northern caucuses, as well as newer entrants versus old party stalwarts.
Strategic Deployment of Governors and Legislators:
Serving governors and National Assembly leaders were positioned to influence delegate loyalty through local structures, political patronage, and mobilization of party machinery.
Senators and House members acted as “brokers” for their constituencies, negotiating compromises on leadership positions and ministerial recommendations to prevent intra-party conflicts from escalating.
Transparent Communication and Messaging:
The APC National Publicity Secretary, Barrister Felix Morka, and his deputies ensured that all official communiques reflected fairness, highlighting the inclusivity of the process.
Preemptive messaging through media outlets, social media platforms, and party channels framed the convention as orderly, reducing external speculation and undermining attempts by opposition parties to exploit perceived rifts.
Consensus-Building Techniques:
Voting blocs were often negotiated behind closed doors before formal proceedings, with committee members facilitating “gentle persuasion” to bring reluctant delegates on board.
Leadership positions, zonal representation, and committee appointments were strategically allocated to ensure no faction felt marginalized, promoting unity even before the convention formally started.
Conflict Prevention:
Security considerations, both political and physical, were embedded in negotiations. Sensitive issues like regional quota for key positions and ministerial allocations were addressed proactively to avoid walkouts, protests, or court interventions.
Implications for Nigerian Politics in 2026
The structure, strategy, and conduct of the APC 2026 National Convention carry long-term consequences for national politics and governance in Nigeria.
Internal Party Cohesion and Electoral Advantage:
By effectively managing negotiations and balancing power among factions, the APC positioned itself as a cohesive force ahead of critical elections in 2026 and 2027.
The convention reinforced the influence of sitting governors, legislators, and party elders, consolidating loyalty networks that will be crucial for mobilizing votes.
Legitimacy and Public Perception:
A transparent, widely reported convention enhances public confidence in APC as a party capable of managing internal democracy.
Conversely, any mismanagement or perceived unfairness could have led to defections, weakening the party’s standing nationally. The careful inclusion of all interest groups mitigates that risk.
Impact on Policy and Governance:
Committee members, especially governors and legislators, wield influence over national policy decisions and appointments. Their inclusion ensures that regional priorities are considered, making governance more representative of diverse constituencies.
The APC’s internal negotiation strategies will likely set precedents for ministerial and political appointments, ensuring a balance of power between the north, south, and geopolitical zones.
Influence on Opposition Parties:
The APC’s ability to manage a 73-member committee with minimal conflict signals to opposition parties that internal cohesion can be maintained even in a large, diverse party. This may pressure opposition parties to restructure or emulate similar strategies to remain competitive.
Additionally, it can consolidate APC’s bargaining power in national discourse, shaping alliances, coalitions, and negotiations on electoral reforms and governance priorities.
Long-Term Political Stability:
By embedding negotiation and mediation mechanisms into the convention process, APC reinforces the notion that disputes can be managed internally without resorting to court battles or political violence.
This framework provides a blueprint for managing future conventions, succession plans, and regional power-sharing agreements, which is critical in a country as ethnically and politically diverse as Nigeria.
Regional and Zonal Political Dynamics:
Zonal vice chairmen and state governors act as channels for integrating local political dynamics into national strategies. Their participation ensures that northern, southern, and minority interests are represented, reducing the risk of alienation and enhancing national cohesion.
The committee’s structure shows a deliberate effort to integrate both old and new power centers, creating a balance that may influence legislative priorities and policymaking for years.
Closing Thoughts: APC 2026 Convention as a Political Case Study
The APC 2026 National Convention Committee exemplifies meticulous planning, inclusive negotiation, and strategic foresight in Nigerian politics. By structuring the committee to incorporate governors, legislators, former leaders, ministers, and senior party operatives, the APC not only ensured a smooth convention but also reinforced its political dominance and operational credibility.
The political negotiation strategies employed including delegate management, factional mediation, consensus-building, and conflict prevention, demonstrate the party’s understanding of complex internal dynamics. These strategies have implications that go beyond the convention, affecting electoral performance, policy formulation, inter-regional balance, and long-term political stability in Nigeria.
This convention and the committee behind it will likely be studied for years as a blueprint of managing party politics in a federal system, showing how careful orchestration of internal structures can mitigate conflict, enhance legitimacy, and consolidate power.
