WorldStage– Professor Nentawe Yilwatda and Ajibola Basiru were returned as the National Chairman and National Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC) on Friday, March 27, 2026.
The duo emerged unopposed through a consensus arrangement during the party’s 4th Elective National Convention held at Eagle Square in Abuja.
Their re-election was part of a broader strategy where the ruling party retained its existing zoning formula for National Working Committee (NWC) positions.
Details from the 2026 convention show consensus vote formally announced by the Convention Election Committee and themed “Unity in Progress – Consolidating the Renewed Hope Agenda.”
High-level officials including President Bola Tinubu, Vice President Kashim Shettima, Senate President Godswill Akpabio, and Speaker Tajudeen Abbas were present.
The convention also saw the election and return of other key NWC members, including Ali Bukar Dalori becoming Deputy National Chairman (North); Dr. Benjamin Obi Nwoye
Deputy National Chairman (South); Prof. AbdulKarim Abubakar Kana (Deputy National Secretary); Felix Morka
National Publicity Secretary; and Muhammad Sulaiman Argungu as National Organising Secretary.
Yilwatda first assumed the chairmanship in July 2025 following the resignation of Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, and this convention effectively consolidated his leadership through the end of 2027.
Speaking at the convention, President Tinubu hailed the party togetherness since 2023, saying “Today, I stand before you with a heart full of gratitude, pride, and hope. Gratitude to God Almighty for His grace upon our nation and our party. Pride in what we have built together as a party since 2013, and optimistic about a bright future for our nation, despite the challenges we face.
“This 4th Elective National Convention of our great party is not merely a gathering. It is a defining chapter in the story of our democracy and our party. As a party, this Convention offers us the platform to renew our bond, strengthen our resolve, and recommit ourselves to the ideals that brought us together in the first place.
“We gather under an inspiring and powerful theme, “Unity in Progress: Consolidating the Renewed Hope Agenda. Unity in Progress, as the main theme, is a potent and timely reminder that progress is impossible without unity.”
