The All Progressives Congress (APC) has officially adopted the indirect primary method to select its governorship candidate for the November 8, 2025, Anambra State election.
This decision was made during a National Working Committee (NWC) meeting at the party’s national secretariat in Abuja on Thursday.
APC Clarifies Primary Election Mode
Addressing journalists after the meeting, APC National Secretary, Bashiru Ajibola, dismissed previous claims that the party would use a direct primary method, stating that no such resolution had been made prior to Thursday’s meeting.
“The advertisement suggesting that the NWC had adopted a direct mode of primary was incorrect. The committee has now formally decided that the governorship candidate will emerge through an indirect primary,” Ajibola clarified.
To ensure transparency, the NWC will meet with key stakeholders, including the State Working Committee (SWC), state caucus, and governorship aspirants, at the party’s national headquarters on Tuesday, March 11 to discuss the process.
Ajibola also confirmed that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) would be officially notified, and a revised timetable for the primary would be published.
APC Primary Timetable Adjusted
The APC has adjusted its primary election schedule to align with INEC’s timetable:
- Aspirant screening: March 7–8, 2025
- Party primaries: April 5, 2025
- INEC deadline for party primaries: April 10, 2025
- Candidate nomination period: April 18–May 12, 2025
- Final list of candidates published: June 9, 2025
- Campaigns begin: June 11, 2025
- Campaigns end: November 6, 2025
- Election day: November 8, 2025
Seven Aspirants in the Race
At least seven APC members have declared interest in contesting the governorship election:
- Chukwuma Umeoji
- Obiora Okonkwo
- Nicholas Ukachukwu
- Paul Chukwuma
- Obinna Onunkwo
- Valentine Ozigbo
- Edozie Madu
INEC Confirms Election Timetable
INEC National Commissioner & Chairman of the Information and Voter Committee, Sam Olumekun, reaffirmed the Anambra election timeline, emphasizing that:
- Party primaries will run from March 20 to April 10
- Voting will take place in all 5,720 polling units across Anambra on November 8, 2025
With the timetable set and the primary election process now clear, the APC and other parties are gearing up for a competitive governorship race in Anambra State.
