Power Play in APC: NWC Members Lobby as Governors Demand Overhaul

The All Progressives Congress (APC) is poised for a significant overhaul of its National Working Committee (NWC) as internal preparations intensify ahead of its National Elective Convention slated for December 2025. Barring any last-minute changes, the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC), meeting on July 24, is expected to set up a convention planning committee to lay the groundwork for this transition.

Multiple sources within the APC have confirmed that key stakeholders—including governors and senior NEC members—are advocating for a full elective convention to usher in a new NWC lineup ahead of the 2027 general elections. This goes beyond the replacement of the acting national chairman, Ali Bukar Dalori, who assumed leadership following the recent resignation of former Kano State Governor, Abdullahi Ganduje, on June 27.

Despite quiet lobbying efforts by some current NWC members to restrict changes to the chairmanship alone, momentum appears to be building for a broader leadership reset. “There may be a national elective convention in December. Nobody is planning to replace Dalori in July to the best of my knowledge. Dalori will lead the party to a convention where new leaders of the party will emerge,” a senior party insider told *The PUNCH*.

The APC constitution outlines 22 key NWC positions, including the National Chairman, six Zonal Vice Chairmen, National Secretary, Legal Adviser, Treasurer, and Youth and Women Leaders, among others. According to Article 17 of the party’s 2022 constitution (as amended), NWC members serve four-year terms, renewable once—though no chairman or NWC member has completed a full term since the party’s inception, with frequent leadership turnover due to internal dynamics.

The upcoming NEC meeting will likely determine whether a new chairman will be nominated or if Dalori will remain in place until the December convention. APC Deputy National Secretary Festus Fuanter noted that any nomination made during the NEC would still be subject to final confirmation at the national convention.

Party insiders have indicated that recent political realignments and the entry of new power blocs—particularly influential governors and strategic allies—are shaping calls for a full-scale NWC reconstitution. “The ongoing conversation among party leaders is centred on the December convention. It’s not just about replacing Ganduje; the convention is intended to produce new party leaders,” said one source.

Efforts to reach APC National Publicity Secretary Felix Morka were unsuccessful, but Deputy National Publicity Secretary Duro Meseko maintained that no final decisions had been made. “Everything about whether to have an elective convention by December is for the NEC to decide. So, nobody can preempt what NEC will bring or agree to,” he said, adding that more clarity will emerge after consultations with President Bola Tinubu in the coming days.

APC’s Director of Publicity, Bala Ibrahim, downplayed speculation of disarray, insisting that Ganduje’s exit was voluntary and not a sign of weakness. “Those of them who are celebrating his exit, wishing our party was bad, had better change their mind. From our July NEC and other meetings, Nigerians should expect a stronger APC,” he said.

As the party gears up for its crucial July NEC meeting, attention is firmly fixed on whether it will merely fill a leadership gap or set the stage for a full-scale reset of the ruling party’s top hierarchy. Either way, the outcome is expected to shape the party’s path toward the 2027 elections.