CYRIL MBAH, Abuja
The All Progressives Congress (APC}has constituted a 170 member committee of eminent Nigerians to help shortlist and review more than 1,700 applications received from young applicants nationwide seeking to join the Rising Progressive Young Leaders Fellowship (RPLF).
Those to head the committees included Barr. Zainab Buba Marwa, wife of Buba Marwa. NDLEA Chairman, former Nigerian Ambassador to Burundi, HE. Elijah Onyeagba; DG Citizen and Leadership Center, Rinsola Abiola; Executive Director, Galaxy Backbone Hon. Segun Olulade; Former SSA to President Buhari, Wole Aboderin and the SSA to the President on Community Engagement Southwest, Moremi Ojudu.
Others are the Executive Director North Central Development Commission, Princess Atika Ajana; Founder of WFM Toun Okewale Sonaiya and the SSA to the President on Entrepreneurship Development Chalya Shagaya who are among the 170 chairpersons and members of the shortlist committee picked to review over 1700 applications received from young Nigerians nationwide for the Rising Progressive Young Leaders Fellowship (RPLF).
A statement from the APC explained that the Rising Progressive Leaders Fellowship (RPLF) is a flagship and elite leadership development initiative of the Progressive School of Politics, Leadership and Statescraft (PSPLS), the human capital development arm of the APC National Youth Wing, purposefully designed to produce the best of the best, a new cadre of high value, governance ready young leaders prepared for public sector leadership and national service.
Other committee members includes Bode Olugbore; Hon. Ife Adebayo; Dr. Sanusi Ohiare; Kingsley Mordi; Barr. Zainab Buba Marwa; Mr. Abu Andrew; Engr. Prof Abubakar Sadiq Zubair and Hon. Ginika Tor.
The list also contains the names of the SA to the Vice President Hon Ahmed Ningi; SSA to the President Mrs. Abiodun Essiet; Hon. Abu Sidiq; Hon. Mrs Nana Hauwa; Hajia Jemilah Shuaibu; Sheefah Zarma; Hon. Onyeka Nwafor; Maryam Illyasu Gwarzo;
Queen Zarah Onyinye; Engr Anjo Obande; Shehu Huseini Kollere; Dr. Muhammed Yahaz; Chidinma Makachukwu; Gbenga Saka; Hon. Ibrahim Alli Balogun; Mr. Muyiwa Adebola; Hon. Onyambo; Arabirin Aderonke Atoyebi; Segun Tomori; Theresa Tekanah; Abida Rabo;
Jason Baba Kwaghe; Lamir Umar Ibrahim; Ochanya Okoh; Zubair Aliyu; Yewande Bisiolu; Gambo Manzo and Martha Agba, among many others.
According to the APC National Youth Leader, Dr. Dayo Israel, the fellowship targets exceptional emerging leaders with the capacity to contribute meaningfully to governance, while being deliberately groomed to shape leadership and statescraft tomorrow.
“It is structured as a rigorous, immersive, and transformational experience that combines intellectual depth, practical exposure, and elite mentorship to prepare the next generation of progressive leaders for roles across the public sector, political institutions, and policy making spaces.
“The RPLF is delivered as a high intensity, cohort based fellowship, featuring a residential component that removes participants from everyday distractions and places them in a focused environment of learning, reflection, collaboration, and leadership formation.
“This immersive model fosters discipline, peer bonding, critical thinking, and a deep appreciation of the demands of public leadership and service in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda of the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu,” the APC Youth Leader concluded.
The Fellowship draws on a distinguished faculty and resource network comprising former governors, former ministers, senior public servants, seasoned legislators, private sector leaders, policy experts, and thought leaders.
Fellows benefit from direct interaction with serving and former senior government officials across both the legislative and executive arms of government, providing rare insight into real-world governance, policy negotiation, political leadership, and institutional decision-making.
According to the youth leader, the committee is broken down into a 17 set of 10 member committees to review 100 applications each and shortlist 350 persons who will proceed to the next stage of physical interviews to be conducted by former governors of the party, agency heads and other senior leaders.
Beyond classroom instruction, the fellowship emphasizes experiential learning, leadership simulations, policy labs, fireside conversations, and high level engagements that expose fellows to the realities of power, responsibility, and service.
Participants will be challenged intellectually, ethically and practically ensuring that the fellowship experience is not only instructive but life-transforming.
The application review process will commence on Wednesday, January 28, 2026, while further updates on the review exercise and final selection process will be communicated in due course, the statement concluded.
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