APC National Convention Coordination Committee declares readiness for transparent and rule-bound process

KEY POINTS

• The All Progressives Congress (APC) National Convention Coordination Committee Secretariat (NCCCS) has affirmed its readiness to host a transparent and credible national convention scheduled for March 27–28, 2026.
• Chief Lateef Fagbemi, Attorney General of the Federation and Chairman of the NCCCS, stated that a high-powered legal committee has been tasked with ensuring strict compliance with the Electoral Act and the party’s constitution.
• The committee, which includes prominent figures like former Governor Ibrahim Shema and Sen. Victor Ndoma-Egba, is prioritizing internal consensus to ensure a formidable and unified front.
• Fagbemi emphasized that the party’s approach aligns with President Bola Tinubu’s rule-of-law agenda, promising fair play not only for the convention but also leading into the 2027 General Elections.

MAIN STORY

The All Progressives Congress (APC) is entering the final stretch of its organizational recalibration ahead of the 2026 National Convention.

During a strategic meeting in Abuja on Thursday, Chief Lateef Fagbemi, the Attorney General of the Federation and Chairman of the NCCCS, declared that the party has moved beyond mere planning to active execution.

Represented by the Minister of State for Works, Bello Goronyo, Fagbemi explained that the party is rolling out a “battery of committees” designed to insulate the convention from legal vulnerabilities and ensure every procedural step is beyond reproach.

Central to this preparation is a legal mandate to harmonize party activities with the extant laws of Nigeria. The NCCCS has established specialized sub-committees focused on dispute resolution, documentation, and the drafting of legal instruments.

By involving a mix of Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs), academics, and seasoned politicians, the party aims to build a “consensus-driven” model that reduces friction among aspirants. This structural readiness is intended to demonstrate the APC’s evolution into a more disciplined, rule-bound organization as it seeks to maintain its status as the largest political entity in Africa.

THE ISSUE

The primary challenge addressed by the NCCCS is the “Internal Legal Friction” that often plagues major party conventions. Historically, technical lapses in delegate accreditation or screening have led to protracted court cases that threaten party stability. Additionally, there is the “Inclusivity Demand,” where various regional and demographic blocs within the party fear marginalization. To resolve this, the Fagbemi-led committee is employing a “Pre-emptive Consensus Strategy,” engaging all aspirants early to align interests before the first vote is cast at the convention.

WHAT’S BEING SAID

• “This is a legal committee that is formed with the sole mandate of looking at legal issues to comply with the extant laws of this country,” stated Chief Lateef Fagbemi, Chairman of the APC NCCCS.
• “We decided to form a particular committee that will look at all the aspirants and see how we can form a formidable consensus,” Fagbemi added regarding internal harmony.
• “The President has identified the promotion of the rule of law as one of the Renewed Hope Agenda… that is why this committee was formed,” noted Bello Goronyo, representing the Chairman.
• “You can see how the party is waxing stronger and stronger. It is the largest party in Africa,” the Chairman concluded in his remarks.

WHAT’S NEXT

• With the convention set for March 27–28, the APC will now enter the final phase of delegate accreditation and venue logistics at Eagle Square, Abuja.
• The Screening and Appeal Committees, recently inaugurated under the leadership of Governor Umar Namadi, will begin the final assessment of all aspirants for national offices.
• In the weeks following the convention, the newly elected National Working Committee (NWC) will likely begin drafting the primary election guidelines for the 2027 cycle.
• Finally, the party is expected to launch a nationwide “reconciliation tour” to ensure that any grievances arising from the convention are resolved before the general election season begins.

BOTTOM LINE

The bottom line is that the APC is treating its 2026 National Convention as a “legal stress test” for the 2027 elections. By putting the Attorney General at the helm of coordination, the party is signaling that “fair play” and “rule of law” are its primary defensive strategies against internal dissent and opposition challenges. For the Nigerian electorate, this focus on a credible internal process is a critical indicator of how the ruling party intends to manage the broader democratic landscape in the coming year.

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