Nigerian President Bola Tinubu convened with state governors from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) on Wednesday in Abuja, signaling efforts to consolidate the party’s agenda ahead of a high-stakes national leadership meeting. The closed-door gathering, held at the State House, included governors representing the party’s 21 state chapters and aimed to align priorities between federal and regional leaders.
Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo State, who chairs the Progressive Governors Forum, described the session as a collaborative effort to bolster the APC’s organizational strength and governance strategies. Speaking to reporters afterward, Uzodimma emphasized the need to unify the party’s structures “at the grassroots, local government, state, and national levels” to improve service delivery to citizens. “Our focus is to ensure the party remains a vehicle for effective governance,” he said, characterizing discussions with Tinubu as “convivial” and solution-oriented.
The meeting preceded Thursday’s National Executive Committee (NEC) assembly, the APC’s highest decision-making body, which is expected to address lingering internal challenges. Key agenda items include fostering cohesion among party leaders, refining policy directions, and finalizing the appointment of a new national chairman. The position has remained vacant since Abdullahi Ganduje resigned in June amid corruption allegations, though Uzodimma declined to speculate on potential successors, stating, “We can’t predict outcomes until deliberations conclude.”
The NEC session holds broader significance for Nigeria’s political landscape, as the APC controls both the presidency and a majority of state governments. Analysts note that resolving leadership gaps and aligning federal-state priorities could shape the party’s ability to address pressing national issues, including economic reforms and security challenges. With Tinubu’s administration nearing its first-year milestone, the outcomes of this week’s meetings may signal the ruling party’s readiness to recalibrate its strategies ahead of future elections.
As the APC navigates these internal deliberations, observers highlight the delicate balance between consolidating power and addressing public demands for transparency and accountability—a dynamic that will likely influence Nigeria’s governance trajectory in the coming months.
