The All Progressives Congress (APC) is reportedly preparing for a sweeping overhaul of its National Working Committee (NWC) ahead of the 2027 general elections, with a major shake-up expected to begin at the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting slated for July 24.
Party insiders revealed that a Convention Planning Committee will likely be inaugurated during the NEC meeting to begin preparations for a full National Elective Convention scheduled for December.
This convention is expected to produce a new set of national officers, replacing the current NWC members.
According to high-ranking sources within the party, many APC governors and NEC members are pushing for a complete change of the leadership structure, not just the replacement of the acting national chairman, Ali Bukar Dalori, who stepped in following the resignation of former chairman Abdullahi Ganduje on June 27.
Although some current NWC members are lobbying to limit the shake-up to only the national chairmanship position, most stakeholders, including top figures within the Presidency, appear to favour a broad leadership transition.
The APC Constitution (2022 as amended) outlines 22 NWC positions, including national chairman, six vice chairmen (representing each geopolitical zone), national secretary, national treasurer, and others.
Article 17 of the party’s constitution provides a four-year renewable term for elected officers, with a maximum of eight consecutive years in any single office.
Despite this, no APC national chairman or NWC member has served a full term since the party’s formation, as leadership tenures have often been cut short by internal crises or political realignments.
Festus Fuanter, the party’s Deputy National Secretary, recently confirmed that the NEC will meet on July 24 in Abuja.
He indicated that any decision regarding a new chairman or leadership changes would be made based on the NEC’s collective agreement.
“The NEC may decide on the appointment of a new chairman, but it’s more likely that the focus will be on preparations for the convention,” a source familiar with the matter disclosed.
Another source added that Dalori is expected to remain in office until December when new party executives will be elected.
The December convention is reportedly being positioned as an opportunity to restructure the party’s leadership in line with the ambitions of powerful governors and recent entrants into the APC fold.
“The idea is to allow those who recently joined the party and emerging power blocs to have a stake in the party’s leadership going into the 2027 elections,” the source said.
Although some current NWC members are maneuvering to retain their positions, insiders say the consensus among major stakeholders leans toward a full-scale leadership change through an elective convention.
Party officials said consultations with President Bola Tinubu are ongoing, and the outcome will likely shape the direction of the NEC meeting.
Attempts to reach APC National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, were unsuccessful. However, Deputy National Publicity Secretary Duro Meseko told The PUNCH that no formal plan for a convention had been announced at the time of filing this report.