APC Forum Urges Tinubu to Oversee Credible Convention

The North-Central APC Forum on Thursday called on President Bola Tinubu to take an active role in ensuring that credible national officers emerge at the All Progressives Congress national convention scheduled for March 27 and 28, 2026.

The appeal was made ahead of the gathering where members of the party’s National Working Committee will be elected. The Forum made its position known through a statement issued by its Chairman, Alhaji Saleh Zazzaga.

According to the group, the ruling party must begin broad consultations to select experienced and respected individuals to fill key positions, especially that of national chairman.

The Forum believes that the APC, which has grown in size following the defection of several opposition governors and their supporters, now requires steady leadership capable of managing its expanding structure.

The Forum urged the President to supervise a screening process that would ensure only qualified and capable individuals are elected.

It maintained that the party’s national chairman should be a mature and seasoned figure with the ability to manage a political organisation made up of many senior and influential members. The group expressed concern about the possibility of inexperienced persons seeking to occupy top positions.

The statement also warned against turning the party into a platform driven by personal gain. It said those chosen to lead the APC at the national level must have strong leadership records, wide acceptance across the country, and the ability to unite members from different backgrounds. In its view, competence and proven political strength should guide the selection process.

The Forum further stated that academic qualifications alone should not determine who becomes national chairman. Instead, it said political skill, experience, and the capacity to deliver electoral victories are more important.

It advised that individuals who failed to secure wins for the party in their polling units, wards, or local governments during previous elections should not be considered for top roles.

Religious considerations, the group added, should not influence the choice of leaders at the convention. It maintained that the party’s national chairman must be someone who relates well with Nigerians of different faiths and ethnic groups and places national interest above sectional concerns.

With the convention drawing closer, the North-Central APC Forum said it expects the President to guide the process in a way that will strengthen the party’s structure and prepare it for future political contests.