March 7, 2025 by and Tony Akowe, Abuja

The National Working Committee (NWC) of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has adopted the indirect mode of election for the party’s April 5 governorship primary election in Anambra State, ahead of the state’s November 8 poll.

The party’s NWC took the decision at a crucial meeting yesterday in Abuja.

APC National Secretary, Senator Ajibola Basiru announced the decision while addressing  reporters after the meeting at the party’s national secretariat in Abuja. He said the party’s leadership would provide a level-playing filed for the seven aspirants jostling for the party’s ticket.

The seven aspirants jostling for the party’s ticket are: Chukuma Michael Umeoji, Prof. Obiora Francis Okonwko, Nicholas Chukwujeku Ukachukwu, Sir Paul Chukwuma, Johnbosco Obinna Onunkwo, Valentine Ozigbo, and Chief Edozie Madu.

Announcing the outcome of the meeting, Basiru said: “Our (NWC) meeting considered the processes in the ongoing Anambra State governorship election, which is scheduled to be held on 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 the 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, it was formally decided that the mode of emergence of the candidate for that election will be through indirect primary…”

Also, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has warned political parties participating in the Anambra State’s off-cycle governorship election to adhere strictly to their proposed schedules of primaries.

In a statement yesterday in Abuja by the National Commissioner and Chairman of Information and Voter Education Committee, Sam Olumekun, INEC said only 12 of the 19 politics parties in the country have submitted their schedule of activities to the commission, as required by law.

The statement reads: “The commission held its regular weekly meeting today, Thursday, March 6, 2025. Among other issues, the commission reviewed its preparations for the forthcoming off-cycle governorship election in Anambra State, scheduled for Saturday, November 8, 2025.

“The public may recall that in line with the provision of Section 28(1) of the Electoral Act 2022, the commission published the Notice of Election on November 13, 2024, over 360 days before the date fixed for the election.

“By the provision of the Timetable and Schedule of Activities for the election, the conduct of primaries for nomination of candidates by political parties commences in the next two weeks, that is, March 20, 2025 and ends on April 10, 2025.

“So far, 12 of the 19 registered political parties in the country have submitted the detailed schedules of their primaries.

“As agreed at our last consultative meeting with political parties held in January, doing so early will enable the commission to plan for the effective monitoring of the primaries in line with the provision of Section 84 of the Electoral Act 2022. The seven parties that are yet to submit the required information are hereby reminded to do so in earnest.

“Furthermore, we urge political parties to adhere strictly to their proposed schedules.

“Sudden changes to the dates, venues and modes of the primaries lead to avoidable demobilisation and remobilisation of our monitoring staff, thereby disrupting the commission’s workflow.

“This also adds to the cost of monitoring primaries and the overall conduct of elections and electoral activities.”