President Bola Tinubu, members of his cabinet, 32 state governors and about 8,453 delegates are expected to participate in the National Convention of the All Progressives Congress (APC) scheduled to hold in Abuja on Friday and Saturday.
The event will also attract party leaders and stakeholders from the national, zonal, state and ward levels, where new executives of the ruling party are expected to emerge.
The Co-Chairman of the Media Sub-committee for the Convention and Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, disclosed this during the APC World Media Briefing held at the Transcorp Hilton in Abuja on Thursday.
According to him, thousands of delegates from across the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory will participate in the convention.
“We are expecting a total of 8,453 delegates. These are the delegates that we are expecting to come from across the 36 states of the Federation to Abuja,” Idris said.
Idris said the theme of the convention, ‘Unity in Progress: Consolidating the Renewed Hope Agenda,’ reflects the party’s vision and direction.
He explained that the convention would provide an opportunity for leadership elections, policy engagement and strategic planning for the party’s future.
“The convention hopes to bring together delegates from across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory for policy engagement, leadership elections, and a formal transition to a new set of party executives,” he said.
He added that the gathering would also allow the party to review its achievements and align its leadership structure with the administration’s policy direction.
“The forthcoming National Convention marks another milestone in our journey, reflecting both the continuity of our values and the renewal of our leadership,” he said.
The minister assured that preparations had been completed to ensure a smooth and transparent convention at the Eagle Square in Abuja.
“All arrangements have therefore been concluded for a smooth, transparent, and credible convention at the iconic Eagle Square here in Abuja,” he stated.
He added that various committees set up for the convention had finalised their assignments to ensure effective coordination.
Also speaking, the Chairman of the APC National Convention Central Coordinating Committee and former Katsina State Governor, Aminu Masari, said the party was unaware of any legal action that could affect the convention.
Masari noted that the 25 sub-committees set up for the event had completed their preparations.
“We assure Nigerians and even those outside Nigeria that the APC is very ready for the 2026 convention, which will start in the early hours of tomorrow (today),” he said.
Masari also emphasised that the party would strictly adhere to its zoning arrangement in the election of party officials.
“APC is a responsible party in Nigeria. In line with federal character, all offices are zoned. If you come to buy a form, only buy the form zoned to your zone,” he said.
He warned that aspirants seeking positions outside their zones may only be attempting to create confusion within the party.
“We suspect that these kinds of people are interested, maybe as agents, to come and destroy our party, which we will not agree to,” Masari added.
