Nigeria’s ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has waived the screening requirement for Bola Ahmed Tinubu, effectively clearing the incumbent to participate in the party’s upcoming presidential primaries without appearing before a screening panel.
The decision was reached during the 188th meeting of the party’s National Working Committee (NWC), which resolved to deem Tinubu as duly screened in accordance with provisions of the APC constitution.
In a statement issued by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, the committee said the move was backed by its constitutional powers to organise primaries and grant waivers in what it described as special circumstances serving the party’s best interest.
The APC pointed to a wave of endorsements and votes of confidence already secured by Tinubu from key party structures, including the Progressive Governors Forum, members of the National Assembly, and other stakeholders during the party’s national summit held in May 2025 and subsequent statutory meetings.
Party officials argued that, as the sitting president and leader of the APC — who had previously undergone screening ahead of the 2022 primaries — requiring him to appear before another screening committee would be “redundant and unnecessary”.
The move is likely to reinforce Tinubu’s standing within the party as preparations intensify for the primaries, while also signalling strong institutional backing from the APC leadership.
