APC Yet to Finalise Candidate List as INEC Portal Nears
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced that political parties may begin uploading candidate names for the 2027 general elections on June 26. With only four days remaining, the All Progressives Congress (APC) is still working to resolve a number of petitions that arose from its primaries.
Although the APC concluded its primary elections on May 30, the party has not yet published its final list of candidates or issued Certificates of Return to most winners, aside from its presidential aspirant. More than three weeks after the primaries, many contenders for state assembly, National Assembly and governorship seats remain uncertain about their status.
Petitions Flood In From Across the Country
Reports from Daily Trust indicate that the uncertainty has been amplified by statements from senior APC officials, who said the National Working Committee (NWC) holds the ultimate authority to decide the party’s flag bearers. Findings show that petitions have been lodged in nearly every state where primaries were held, with only a few exceptions such as Kano, where most positions were settled through consensus.
Party Sources Explain the Delay
A source at the APC national secretariat attributed the delay to unresolved complaints from aggrieved aspirants. According to the source, most of the grievances have already been examined by the party’s appeal committees, but certain cases from Lagos, Kwara, Kogi and other states are still under review.
When asked why the final list has not been released, the source noted that there is no rule obliging the APC to publish the names before submitting them to INEC. Another party insider said the list is largely complete and will be forwarded to the electoral body as soon as the submission window opens on June 26.
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