The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), has shifted its presidential primary election to Saturday, May 23, 2026.
Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Durosinmi Meseko, disclosed this after the 186th meeting of the party’s National Working Committee NWC yesterday in Abuja.
Meseko, who was accompanied to the briefing by the party’s National Leader of Persons with Disabilities, Tolu Bankole, said the new schedule supersedes an earlier timetable published only days ago and has been formally communicated to the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC in line with extant regulations.
Under the revised calendar, the sale of nomination forms begins this Saturday, April 25, and runs until Saturday, May 2, 2026. Completed forms and accompanying documents must be submitted no later than Monday, May 4.
Screening of aspirants for the House of Assembly, House of Representatives, Senate, and Governorship will hold between Wednesday, May 6 and Friday, May 8, while Presidential aspirants will face their screening panel on Saturday, May 9. Screening results across all categories will be published on Monday, May 11, with appeals to be heard on Tuesday and Wednesday, May 12 and 13.
Primary elections will then roll out in sequence: House of Representatives on Friday, May 15; Senate on Monday, May 18; State House of Assembly on Wednesday, May 20; Governorship on Thursday, May 21; and the Presidential primary on Saturday, May 23. Post-primary appeal committees will sit in the days immediately following each primary.
The NWC also adopted a dual-mode primary system — direct and consensus — as provided in the Electoral Act, with a significant condition attached.
Aspirants are free to indicate their preference, but where any single aspirant in a consensus arrangement withholds agreement, the process automatically reverts to direct primaries.
Meseko moved to put to rest what he described as a rumour that nomination forms would be restricted to certain individuals. “Nomination forms for all aspirants seeking offices under the All Progressives Congress are open,” he declared. “Nomination forms are open for all members of the All Progressives Congress contesting elections.”
On party membership, he said the updated list of all newly registered APC members has been transmitted to INEC, bringing the party into full conformity with established rules.
Separately, the NWC approved a timetable for ward, local government area, and state congresses in Zamfara State, kicking off Tuesday, April 28, with screening of aspirants for ward executive positions. Ward congresses hold on Thursday, April 30, with LGA and state congresses following in the days after, and all resulting appeals to be resolved by Sunday, May 3.
Meseko said the APC “is now fully ready for the upcoming primary elections.”
On its part, the Interim National Chairman of the Labour Party, Senator Nenadi Usman, yesterday commenced the party’s nationwide ward congress with a call for increased female participation in leadership.
While participating in the exercise in her Jere South Ward, Kagarko Local Government Area of Kaduna State, Usman commended the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for its professionalism.
This was contained in a statement signed by her Senior Special Adviser (Media), Ken Asogwa, which was made available to journalists in Abuja yestersday.
She was quoted as saying, “This marks the commencement of our congresses at the ward level. What you have seen here are Jere North and Jere South conducting their congresses together, as is customary. New executives have been duly elected.
“Reports from across the federation indicate that the exercise was largely peaceful and well-organised, with INEC playing a commendable role through timely monitoring.”
The congress, held jointly with Jere North Ward, elected new executives to manage party affairs at the grassroots level. According to Usman, the next phases will include local government and state congresses, culminating in a national convention in Umuahia, Abia State.
“We are committed to gender balance and increased female participation in leadership, particularly in party administration,” she emphasised.
She urged party members to sustain the peaceful conduct observed during the ward congresses throughout the remaining stages of the process, including the national convention.
Ward congresses were held nationwide across 8,809 wards, with elected executives set to participate in local government congresses on April 24, state congresses on April 25, and the national convention on April 28, 2026.