ABUJA — President Bola Tinubu will on Thursday, July 24, preside over a pivotal National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting of the All Progressives Congress (APC), with the party bracing for a potential overhaul of its leadership structure. The selection of a new national chairman — following the resignation of Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje — is expected to dominate discussions and could define the party’s trajectory heading into the 2027 general elections.
Ahead of the NEC meeting, the party will convene its National Caucus on Wednesday, July 23. Both gatherings are expected to be high-stakes affairs, drawing top party figures including Vice President Kashim Shettima, Senate President Godswill Akpabio, House Speaker Tajudeen Abbas, members of the Progressive Governors’ Forum, APC state chairmen, and former governors.
A central flashpoint is the zoning debate: whether the national chairmanship should remain in the North-West (Ganduje’s zone) or revert to the North-Central, where it was originally allocated before a 2022 shift. Several prominent figures from the North-Central are in contention, including Senator Tanko Al-Makura, former Kogi governor Yahaya Bello, ex-Plateau governor Joshua Dariye, Minister of Poverty and Humanitarian Affairs Dr. Nentawe Yilwatda, Senator Sani Musa from Niger, and Senator Salihu Mustapha from Kwara. If the position stays in the North-West, Senator Abu Ibrahim of Katsina is also a possible candidate.
Supporters of Al-Makura argue that his leadership of the defunct CPC helped lay the foundation for APC’s rise in 2015 and that it’s time to reward the CPC bloc. However, momentum appears to be gathering behind Senator Sani Musa, praised by grassroots groups as a “bridge builder” and “consensus candidate.” Regional advocates say the North-Central deserves the role, especially after delivering nearly 1.8 million votes for Tinubu in 2023 and controlling five of the region’s six states.
Adding complexity to the mix is speculation surrounding Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, the 2023 NNPP presidential candidate and a former governor of Kano. With Ganduje, his long-time rival, out of the picture, party insiders hint that a return to APC and a potential chairmanship offer could be part of Tinubu’s broader coalition-building strategy. Kwankwaso’s supporters argue his inclusion could decisively swing Kano and the North-West back to APC, a move that could neutralise opposition from the emerging ADC coalition, reportedly backed by figures like Atiku Abubakar, Peter Obi, Rotimi Amaechi, Nasir el-Rufai, and others.
The NEC meeting will also address the planned national convention, possible appointment of a caretaker committee if consensus on a chairman stalls, ongoing power tussles in states like Benue, calls for resignation and reform within the National Working Committee (NWC), and the rising challenge posed by the ADC coalition. While the presidency has dismissed the opposition alliance as “a coalition of spent forces,” many within APC acknowledge it evokes the 2015 realignment that brought the party to power.
Observers believe Thursday’s meeting will be a litmus test of Tinubu’s political tact. His decision could reflect whether he aims for party consolidation, reward loyalists, or forge strategic alliances ahead of 2027. Dr Dominic Alancha, an APC chieftain, framed the stakes succinctly: “This isn’t just about who leads the APC. It’s about whether we emerge a stronger, united party or sink deeper into internal fractures.”
With multiple factions lobbying behind closed doors, the choice of a new national chairman — and the broader implications for APC leadership — will likely shape not just Tinubu’s legacy but Nigeria’s political landscape in the years ahead.
