The All Progressives Congress (APC) has adopted the indirect mode of primary election in picking its flag bearer for the Anambra State gubernatorial election holding later this year.

The party’s National Working Committee (NWC) took the decision during a meeting at the party’s national secretariat in Abuja on Thursday.

Briefing journalists after the meeting, the National Secretary of the APC, Bashiru Ajibola, debunked the earlier claim in an advertisement that the party would adopt the direct mode of election.

According to him, no such decision was ever taken by the party.

“Our (NWC) meeting considered the processes in the ongoing Anambra governorship election, which is scheduled to be held by November 8, 2025.

“The National Working Committee of the party took cognisance of the fact that advertisement had been made, and it seems the advertisement was seemingly projecting that the NWC had adopted a direct mode of primary, but in actual fact, no positive resolution of the NWC had been taken before today (Thursday) as to the mode of primary.

“At the NWC today, it was put into consideration, now formally decided that the mode of emergence of the candidate for that election will be through indirect primary,” he said.

Mr Ajibola said a meeting of the NWC and the State Working Committee, state caucus and the governorship aspirant has been slated to discuss the preparations for the shadow election on Tuesday next week.

“In order to carry along all stakeholders, a stakeholders’ meeting with the State Working Committee (SWC), state caucus and the aspirants will hold at the national headquarters of the party by 1: pm on Tuesday next week to carry them along.

“And correspondence to this effect will be made to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

“There will be supplementary advertisement and public sensitisation as to the mode of primary and the new timetable adjusted in line with that decision,” the secretary stated.

No fewer than seven party members have shown interest in the governorship race. The are Chukuma Umeoji, Obiora Okonwko, Nicholas Ukachukwu, Paul Chukwuma, Obinna Onunkwo, Valentine Ozigbo and Edozie Madu.

Meanwhile, the party has also reviewed its timeline of activities in accordance with INEC’s schedule of activities.

The APC said the party primaries will be held on Saturday, 5 April, according to its schedule of activities.

The party’s schedule of activities showed that it sold the nomination and expression of interest forms between Monday, 10 February, and Tuesday, 25 February.

The party said it would begin screening aspirants on Friday, 7, and Saturday, 8 March.

Meanwhile, according to the timetable and schedule of activities for the election, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) said party primaries begin on 20 March.

This is contained in a statement by the National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Committee, Sam Olumekun, on Thursday.

The electoral commission had fixed Saturday, 8 November, for the governorship elections.

He said political party primaries will be held between 20 March and 10 April.

The candidate nomination portal will open at 9 a.m. on 18 April 2025 and close at 6 p.m. on 12 May 2025.

“The final list of candidates will be published on 9 June 2025. Campaign in public by political parties will commence on 11 June, 2025 and end at midnight of Thursday, 6 November, 2025.

“Voting will take place in all the 5,720 polling units across the state on Saturday, 8 November 2025,” Mr Olumekun said.