By Editor

Fresh details have emerged suggesting that no registered political party, including the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), met the Independent National Electoral Commission's (INEC) original July 11 deadline for uploading the names of candidates for the 2027 presidential and National Assembly elections.

According to multiple sources within the electoral commission, the July 11 deadline was missed by all political parties before INEC eventually extended the submission period to July 14 following appeals from political stakeholders.

One source familiar with the process disclosed that more than 70 per cent of the APC's candidates had not been uploaded as of the initial deadline, contrary to the party's earlier claim that it had fully complied.

The source further alleged that INEC had to make special administrative adjustments to accommodate the delayed submissions from political parties.

"As of the July 11 deadline, before the extension to July 14, over 70 per cent of APC candidates had not been uploaded. No political party met the deadline. The commission had to bend backwards to accommodate them," the source said.

The revelation appears to contradict a statement issued by the APC on July 12, in which the party announced that it had successfully submitted the names of its candidates before the deadline despite managing what it described as the largest number of candidates among all political parties.

At the time, APC spokesman Felix Morka had argued that INEC only extended the deadline because opposition parties failed to complete their internal nomination processes within the stipulated period.

INEC, however, later confirmed that the extension followed an appeal by the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC), which requested additional time on behalf of political parties that were unable to complete the upload of candidates' names and personal particulars.

The announcement was contained in a statement by INEC National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Kudu Haruna, who said the extension was made in line with the commission's powers under the revised timetable for the 2027 general election.

Following the extension, the APC criticised opposition parties, accusing them of lacking the organisational capacity required to manage their internal affairs.

The party also described it as ironic that opposition parties, which had previously accused the APC of influencing INEC's decisions, later sought the commission's intervention after failing to meet the deadline.

However, the fresh account from INEC sources suggests the extension was not granted solely because of opposition parties, but because the delay affected virtually all registered political parties, including the APC.

Internal disputes trail APC nomination process

Meanwhile, the ruling party is also facing internal disagreements over its candidate selection process in some parts of the country.

In Benue State, aggrieved APC members and aspirants from the Apa State Constituency staged a protest at the party's national secretariat, alleging attempts to impose a preferred candidate ahead of the primary election.

The protesters called on the APC National Working Committee (NWC) to intervene, insisting that candidates should emerge through transparent and credible primaries rather than what they described as imposition.

One of the protesters, who identified himself simply as Godwin O., alleged that genuine aspirants were being denied a level playing field through plans to issue a "same-day ticket" to a favoured candidate.

According to him, such actions could weaken the party's unity and electoral prospects if left unresolved.

The protesters also criticised a party leader, Sonny Echono, alleging that he had little involvement in grassroots party activities and arguing that candidates should be chosen based on loyalty, service and acceptance among party members.

As of the time of filing this report, the APC leadership had not issued an official response to the allegations, while the claims by the protesters had not been independently verified.