Aspirants seeking national leadership positions in the All Progressives Congress (APC) have raised concerns about the process for obtaining nomination and expression of interest forms ahead of the party’s 2026 National Convention, alleging “hoarding” of documents that could restrict contestation for key offices.
The complaint comes as the party prepares to hold its convention at Eagle Square, Abuja, scheduled for March 26 and 27, 2026, where national officers will be elected to serve in the National Working Committee (NWC).
Several aspirants who had paid the required fees said they experienced difficulties in accessing nomination forms despite fulfilling financial obligations.
Ambassador Dagogo Fubara, Director‑General of the APC States Assembly Forum (ASAF) and aspirant for the position of Zonal Vice Chairman (South‑South), petitioned the party’s National Chairman, Professor Nentawe Yilwatda, over what he described as deliberate bottlenecks in the distribution of forms.
Fubara said he had paid N5.1 million for the forms but was repeatedly turned away at the office of the organising secretary without explanation.
In his protest letter, he noted that the process of filing the forms is time‑consuming and he expressed concern that delays in obtaining them could affect his ability to meet deadlines.
“I do not wish to believe that the delay or refusal by the National Organising Secretary is a tactical approach to exclude me from the election,” Fubara wrote, adding that “time is of the essence” as the convention date draws near.
Aspirants for other positions also described similar experiences in securing forms required to contest for party offices.
Oyo‑born aspirant Oyiborume Paul Yovwe, who is seeking to contest the position of National Secretary, also said he encountered challenges after paying the N7.5 million required for the nomination form.
Yovwe said he was unable to convert his bank teller into an official receipt because the finance department refused, and he was informed that the form for the position was already “assigned to one person.”
The APC leadership has maintained that the party’s zoning formula remains valid and dictates eligibility for national offices.
In a statement, the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, reminded aspirants that the approved zoning arrangement for National Working Committee positions remains in force for the upcoming convention.
He emphasised that aspirants should strictly follow the zoning structure when purchasing and submitting their expression of interest and nomination forms.
Under the party’s zoning arrangement, certain offices are allocated to specific geo‑political zones. The position of National Secretary is zoned to the South‑West, which may affect aspirants from other zones like the South‑South, where Yovwe is from.
Reports from party sources indicated that only limited numbers of nomination forms might have been printed for the offices of National Chairman and National Secretary, and that these documents were in possession of certain party groups supporting the incumbents.
One such group, the Prince Simon Ali Support Organisation, said it had purchased forms for the continuation of the incumbent chairman’s leadership.
The group’s Director‑General, Dominic Alancha, said the move was based on belief in the chairman’s capacity to lead the party into future elections and dismissed allegations of exclusion.
Amid the competing claims, various party blocs, including the Progressive Governors’ Forum (PGF), the National Assembly caucus and regional caucuses, were reported to be involved in discussions around the convention preparations.
Officials within the party, including Mr. Abimbola Tooki, Special Adviser on Media and Strategic Communications to the APC National Chairman, responded that there was no directive preventing aspirants from picking forms.
However, he reiterated that eligibility to contest for positions was based on compliance with the zoning framework established by the National Executive Committee (NEC).
Tooki said the party’s existing statute and constitutional provisions guide the process and that aspirants should ensure they qualify within the approved zoning structure to contest for specific offices.
