Fresh findings by Vanguard indicate that no political party, including the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), met the July 11, 2026 deadline set by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for uploading National Assembly candidates for the 2027 general elections.
According to several INEC sources, the commission later extended the deadline to July 14 after appeals from political parties, contradicting earlier claims by the APC that it had complied with the original timetable.
One INEC official disclosed that more than 70 per cent of APC candidates had not been uploaded as of July 11, adding that the shortfall affected all registered parties and not only opposition parties. The source also claimed that INEC had to make additional administrative arrangements to accommodate the submissions.
The development differs from the APC’s statement of July 12, in which the party said it had successfully completed the upload of its candidates despite the large number of aspirants contesting on its platform.
INEC later confirmed the extension in a statement issued by National Commissioner Mohammed Kudu Haruna, chairman of the commission’s Information and Voter Education Committee. The commission said the adjustment followed an appeal by the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC).
Reacting to the extension, APC spokesman Felix Morka maintained that the ruling party had complied with the deadline and argued that the extension became necessary because opposition parties failed to complete their internal nomination processes. He said the situation raised questions about the opposition’s operational capacity.
However, the account from INEC sources suggests that the extension was prompted by widespread non-compliance across political parties, including the APC itself.
Meanwhile, the ruling party is also facing internal disputes over its nomination process in Benue State. On Monday, aggrieved APC stakeholders and aspirants from Apa State Constituency protested at the party’s national secretariat, alleging that a preferred candidate was being imposed ahead of the primary election.
The protesters demanded a free, fair and transparent primary and warned that any attempt to sideline other aspirants could weaken party unity and affect its electoral prospects.
Speaking for the group, a party member identified as Godwin O alleged that efforts were being made to issue a “same-day ticket” to a favored aspirant instead of conducting a proper primary. He called on the APC national chairman and the National Working Committee (NWC) to intervene and restore confidence in the process.
The protesters also accused party leader Sonny Echono of having little involvement in grassroots party activities and insisted that candidates should emerge through acceptance by party members rather than imposition.
As of press time, the APC leadership had not issued an official response to the allegations, and the claims had not been independently verified.
