The All Progressives Congress has stepped up preparations for the 2027 general elections with the submission of nomination particulars of 13 governorship candidates to the Independent National Electoral Commission.
The ruling party is working to meet the August 8 deadline announced by the electoral body for the submission of governorship and State House of Assembly candidates nationwide.
A senior APC official disclosed that the nomination details of the 13 candidates had been processed and uploaded on INEC’s nomination portal, while the party was concluding documentation for other candidates.
The official expressed confidence that all 28 governorship candidates and their deputies would be successfully submitted before the expiration of the deadline.
Those whose details have reportedly been processed include Obafemi Hamzat of Lagos State, Solomon Adeola of Ogun State, Umar Bago of Niger State, Ahmed Wadada of Nasarawa State and Yakubu Danladi of Kwara State.
Others are Hyacinth Alia of Benue State, Ahmed Galadima of Adamawa State and Caleb Mutfwang of Plateau State.
Sources within the party said the APC Information and Communication Technology team had taken charge of the uploading exercise, ensuring that all necessary documents complied with INEC’s requirements.
However, the party has encountered difficulties in submitting the names of its State House of Assembly candidates due to technical challenges affecting the INEC nomination portal.
The source explained that the issues had slowed down the process but expressed optimism that they would be resolved shortly.
“Our ICT team has already scanned and prepared the documents for immediate upload once the issues are resolved,” the official said.
The APC maintained that its preparations were advancing smoothly across most states despite concerns from some aspirants and stakeholders over the outcomes of certain primary elections.
Addressing reports of dissatisfaction among party members, APC Director of Publicity, Bala Ibrahim, said the party was making efforts to reconcile aggrieved stakeholders and maintain unity ahead of the elections.
He stated that the APC reconciliation committee had begun reaching out to affected members.
“As for the disaffection that the emergence of some of these candidates may have caused, the reconciliation committee is working,” Ibrahim said.
“We are hoping that, at the end of the day, all grievances will be resolved. All the aggrieved parties will come together and forge ahead.”
Ibrahim added that the party remained committed to presenting a united front as it prepares for the polls.
He also called on APC candidates to uphold the party’s policies and programmes while promoting President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope agenda among voters.
According to him, collective efforts by party members would be critical to securing victory at the elections.
INEC opened its nomination portal for governorship and State House of Assembly candidates on July 18, with August 8 set as the deadline for the submission of candidates’ particulars.
The electoral timetable indicates that the personal information of candidates will be published on August 29 for public scrutiny, while September 19 has been fixed as the deadline for withdrawal and substitution of candidates.
Meanwhile, the APC recently announced that it had completed the upload of its presidential and National Assembly candidates on the INEC Candidate Nomination Portal.
The party described the achievement as a significant step in its preparations for the 2027 elections.
A total of 471 candidates, including the presidential ticket, Senate candidates and House of Representatives aspirants, were submitted through the portal.
APC National Chairman, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, praised the party’s candidates, leaders and officials who contributed to the successful completion of the exercise.
“I congratulate our candidates, leaders, and members of APC on the successful 100% upload of our Presidential, Vice Presidential, Senate, and House of Representatives candidates on the INEC Candidate Nomination Portal (ICNP),” he said.
“With this milestone achieved, our focus now shifts to mobilisation and preparations for a successful campaign and decisive victory at the polls.”
The completed submission also confirmed President Bola Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima as the APC presidential and vice-presidential candidates for the 2027 election.
The development followed INEC’s decision to extend the deadline for the submission of presidential and National Assembly candidates after appeals from some political parties that were unable to meet the initial deadline.
The APC had criticised the extension, stating that it had already completed its submissions before the original deadline.
INEC later approved the extension after receiving requests from political parties through the Inter-Party Advisory Council, explaining that the move would enable parties to complete their uploads and promote wider participation in the electoral process.
