How APC Selects Its National Chairman

Last checked: 13 October 2026. This article is a neutral explainer based on published reports. It does not endorse any party or candidate, and where accounts conflict it says so. The rules come from reports on the party’s constitution and from recent examples; read the current constitution for exact wording.

On paper, the national chairman is chosen by delegates at a national convention. In practice, the APC has used three different routes in thirteen years, and the route used has often depended on the circumstances and on the wishes of influential figures. This article explains each route, with real examples.

Route 1: election at a national convention

The convention is the highest organ of the party. Delegates from the states and local governments attend, and they elect national officers. Examples include:

• June 2018. Adams Oshiomhole was elected national chairman by a voice vote of delegates on 23 June.
• March 2022. Abdullahi Adamu emerged as chairman late on 26 March, with a consensus list of 77 national officials adopted by governors and other stakeholders. Another report counted 65 expected elective offices, including 21 on the working committee, which shows that the number depends on how offices are counted.
• March 2026. The 8th National Convention returned Nentawe Yilwatda and the whole National Working Committee by consensus and affirmative voice vote, with more than 8,400 delegates.

In all three cases the delegates ratified an arrangement worked out beforehand. This approach, called consensus, is the standard way the party avoids a contested vote.

Route 2: appointment or ratification by the NEC

The National Executive Committee can act between conventions. Daily Trust reported that the NEC relied on Article 13.3 of the constitution, which states that it has the powers to discharge all the functions of the national convention between conventions. Two examples:

• August 2023. After Adamu’s resignation, the NEC announced Abdullahi Ganduje as chairman on 3 August. Critics said the post should have stayed in the North Central, Adamu’s zone, while Ganduje came from the North West.
• July 2025. After Ganduje resigned in June, deputy chairman Ali Dalori acted until the NEC met at the Presidential Villa on 24 July and ratified Yilwatda. An analysis said the constitution allows the NEC to appoint a chairman or set up a caretaker committee, with a maximum period of 12 months, though that source is a commentary and the exact wording should be checked.

Route 3: a caretaker committee

In June 2020 the NEC, chaired by President Buhari, dissolved Oshiomhole’s working committee and appointed a 13-member caretaker committee under Yobe Governor Mai Mala Buni. It was given six months to reconcile members and organise a convention. In practice it ran the party until the March 2022 convention.

Zoning

The APC rotates key offices among regions, and the chairman’s region is usually considered along with that of the president. Chairs have come from the South-West (Akande), South-South (Odigie-Oyegun and Oshiomhole), North-East (Buni), North-Central (Adamu), North-West (Ganduje) and North-Central again (Yilwatda). In 2023, the move from a North-Central chairman to a North-West chairman prompted complaints. When Yilwatda was chosen in 2025, reports said the zoning of national offices within the working committee was altered. Zoning decisions can matter as much as the formal vote.

Who really decides?

Several reports describe a strong role for the president and the governors. Daily Trust called Ganduje the president’s anointed candidate with the backing of governors. ThisDay said Yilwatda’s choice was strategic and linked it to the 2027 election. In 2018, reports said most governors and other leaders wanted Oshiomhole in place of Odigie-Oyegun, and Buhari withdrew his support for the incumbent. Supporters of this approach say it ensures the party and the government work together. Critics say it reduces the independence of the party and the real choices open to delegates. Both views are widely held.

Terms and tenure

National officers elected in 2026 are meant to serve four years, according to reports. In practice, tenures have often been shorter. Only Odigie-Oyegun came close to a full term, and the party has had between six and eight chairmen depending on how interim and caretaker leaders are counted.

A step-by-step summary

1. A vacancy arises through resignation, removal or the end of a term.
2. The deputy chairman from the relevant region may act.
3. Party leaders, usually including the president and governors, negotiate a choice and the zone it should come from.
4. Either the NEC ratifies the choice under Article 13.3, or the national convention adopts it by consensus or voice vote.
5. The new chairman is inaugurated and a new working committee may be sworn in.

What we could not confirm

• The exact wording of the constitution’s provisions on eligibility and the 12-month limit for caretaker committees.
• Private negotiations behind each selection.
• Whether the practice of consensus will continue after 2027.

Frequently asked questions

Who votes for the chairman? Delegates at a national convention, or the NEC between conventions.

Can the NEC appoint a chairman? Yes, using Article 13.3, as it did in 2023 and 2025.

What is consensus? An arrangement agreed in advance and then adopted by delegates.

Key takeaways

The APC picks chairmen through conventions, NEC decisions or caretaker committees, usually after negotiation among leaders and with attention to zoning. The formal route varies, but the practical choice is made beforehand.

Sources checked

• Daily Trust via PressReader, “Hurdles as Ganduje moves to stabilise APC”
• ThisDay, “Yilwatda’s Emergence as APC Chairman” and 2022 convention live updates
• Channels Television, Freedom Online and Within Nigeria on the 2026 convention
• AllAfrica, “APC in 2025”; Atlantic Post commentary on Article 13.3
• ThisDay and PressReader reports on the 2020 caretaker committee