PDP and APC Start Candidate Upload for 2027 Elections
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) have commenced uploading the names and details of their governorship and state Houses of Assembly candidates for the 2027 general elections to the Independent National Electoral Commission’s nomination portal.
PDP Confirms Smooth Upload Process
Umar Bature, the PDP National Organising Secretary, said the party began the exercise on Saturday and has not encountered any technical problems.
“The Peoples Democratic Party commenced the upload of its governorship and state Houses of Assembly candidates’ details to INEC’s nomination portal on Saturday,” Bature stated. “The exercise has been progressing smoothly without any technical issues, and we are confident that the upload process will be completed well ahead of the deadline.”
APC Prioritises Incumbent Governors
A senior APC official, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed that the party started the upload process the previous day, giving priority to the 16 governors seeking re‑election.
The official added that only candidates whose nominations survived petitions before the primary election appeal committee and received approval from the National Working Committee would be uploaded.
Among the incumbent governors expected on the APC list are Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom, Hyacinth Alia of Benue, Uba Sani of Kaduna, Abba Yusuf of Kano, Dikko Radda of Katsina and Nasir Idris of Kebbi.
Other names include Umaru Bago of Niger, Caleb Mutfwang of Plateau, Ahmed Aliyu of Sokoto, Agbu Kefas of Taraba and Dauda Lawal of Zamfara.
First‑Time Flagbearers and Additional Names
The APC’s governorship list is also expected to feature first‑time flagbearers such as Lagos State Deputy Governor Obafemi Hamzat, Senator Solomon Adeola in Ogun, Kingsley Chinda in Rivers and Eric Opah in Abia.
Additional names mentioned by the party source include Mohammed Abubakar of Bauchi, Mustapha Gubio of Borno, Jamilu Gwamna of Gombe, Ahmed Wadada of Nasarawa and Baba Malam Wali of Yobe.
INEC Timetable and Deadlines
INEC has fixed the submission of nomination forms for governorship and state Houses of Assembly candidates from 9 a.m. on July 18 to 6 p.m. on August 8, 2026.
The personal particulars of presidential and National Assembly candidates will be published on August 8, while those of governorship and state assembly candidates are scheduled for display on August 29.
Parties have until August 22 to withdraw or substitute presidential and National Assembly candidates, and until September 19 for governorship and state assembly candidates.
Total Numbers and States Without Governorship Elections
The PDP, APC and other political parties are expected to submit a total of 28 governorship candidates and 993 state Houses of Assembly candidates nationwide.
Governorship elections will not be held in Anambra, Bayelsa, Edo, Ekiti, Imo, Kogi, Ondo and Osun states because their elections are conducted outside the general election cycle.
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