- The All Progressives Congress (APC) has scheduled its House of Representatives primaries for Saturday, May 16, 2026, across all 8,809 wards in Nigeria, allowing every registered party member to vote.
- Following protests against a proposed consensus arrangement, the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) opted for the direct primary method to ensure a transparent and fair selection process.
- President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has urged party members to maintain order, describing the exercise as a “referendum on unity” and a critical test of the party’s democratic resilience ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The ruling APC is set for a massive internal exercise tomorrow as it begins the process of selecting its standard-bearers for the 360 federal constituencies.
Eko Hot Blog reports that the shadow election, originally slated for today, was moved by 24 hours to ensure seamless logistics across the 774 local government areas.
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National Secretary Dr. Ajibola Basiru confirmed that the NWC has discarded the exclusive use of consensus in favor of a direct vote to calm “frayed nerves” following various protests by aspirants and their supporters in several state capitals.
In a statement released ahead of the polls, President Tinubu emphasized that the primaries should be free of rancor, urging victors to be humble and losers to accept the outcomes in good faith.
He specifically called for the inclusion of women and youths in the process, noting their critical roles in the party’s future.
The President also warned security agencies to remain professional and focus solely on maintaining law and order without interfering in the democratic process.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has already directed its Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) to monitor the proceedings in line with the Electoral Act 2026.
This weekend’s contest marks the start of a busy primary week for the APC, with senatorial primaries scheduled for Monday, May 18, followed by House of Assembly contests on Wednesday, governorship primaries on May 21, and the presidential primary rounding off the schedule on May 23.
