…says NWC imposed on party.

The outcome of the National Elective Convention of the All Progressives Congress, (APC), where national officials emerged without major votes indicates that democracy has collapsed in the ruling party, and indeed the country, a top Chieftain of the party has said. According to the chieftain, who is a former Minister, what happened at the National Convention of the party in Abuja over the weekend was a sham, and very undemocratic.

“The exercise was a sham, an indication that democracy has collapsed in the APC, the governing party, which controls over 31 states and indeed the country,” the chieftain, who was at the event said. “The delegates did not know the candidates; neither did they address the delegates on their plans and programmes for the party.

All the delegates merely endorsed the list of national officers brought by the Presidency and the party leadership. This is not democracy! Delegates should have known those they wanted to vote for, but it never happened in the entire event,” he said.

At the convention Friday night, the NWC of the party was constituted with Prof Nentawe Yilwatda emerging as National Chairman and Barr. Ajibola Basiru, National Secretary of the APC, through consensus. Earlier, sources said some governors in the South-West were opposed to re-lection the National Secretary.

Meanwhile. the Governor of Ogun State and Chairman of the Venue Sub-committee for the All APC 2026 National Convention, Prince Dapo Abiodun, has described the event as a model of organisation and security, attributing its success to thorough planning and strategic innovations.

Speaking on the sidelines of the convention held at Eagle Square, Abiodun said the committee undertook a critical review of previous conventions to identify and address recurring challenges, particularly in crowd management and venue security.

According to him, members of the subcommittee conducted an on-the-spot assessment of the arena shortly after their inauguration, which led to a comprehensive redesign of the venue layout. He explained that simulations were carried out to test the movement of about 12,000 participants, ensuring smooth entry and exit during the event.

“We identified weak areas from past experiences and redesigned the arena to eliminate them. The goal was to deliver a seamless and world-class convention,” he said. To enhance coordination, Abiodun noted that specific entry points were assigned to different categories of attendees, while emergency exit routes were also created.

He added that surveillance cameras were installed at strategic locations within and around the venue to monitor activities and strengthen security. The governor described the convention as highly successful, revealing that about 11,000 participants attended, including 8,400 delegates, 1,800 committee members, and 200 VIPs.

He commended Bola Tinubu for entrusting him with the responsibility, noting that the successful outing reflects the administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda.