2027 Elections: APC Beats INEC Deadline, Completes Candidates’ Upload

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has completed the electronic upload of its candidates for all elective positions ahead of the 2027 general elections, beating the initial deadline set by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

The National Chairman of the party, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, disclosed this in a statement issued on Sunday by his Special Adviser on Media and Information Strategy, Abimbola Tooki.

Yilwatda said the APC had successfully uploaded the names of its candidates for positions ranging from the State Houses of Assembly to the presidency across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.

He described the early completion of the exercise as a demonstration of the party’s organisational capacity, institutional discipline and preparedness for the 2027 elections.

According to him, the APC completed the process within the original timeline, while several other political parties were still working to meet the deadline and subsequently appealed to INEC for an extension.

Following the appeals, INEC extended the deadline for the submission of candidates through its online portal from Saturday, August 8, to Tuesday, August 11, 2026.

Yilwatda said the APC’s early completion of the exercise showed that the party had moved beyond what he described as “politics of slogans” to a system based on planning, structure and execution.

«“The APC has once again demonstrated that we are prepared for the responsibility of governing Nigeria. We did not wait until the last minute. We planned ahead, coordinated our structures and ensured that our candidates were successfully uploaded before the expiration of the original deadline,” he said.»

The APC chairman said the exercise was particularly significant given the nationwide scope of the party’s operations and the need to coordinate the nomination, documentation, verification and electronic submission of thousands of candidates.

He said the process involved the party’s national secretariat, state chapters, candidates, election management teams and other relevant structures.

Yilwatda urged Nigerians to consider organisational capacity when assessing political parties seeking their votes in the 2027 elections.

“Governance is not an experiment. The management of a country as complex as Nigeria requires planning, coordination, discipline, competence and the ability to deliver within deadlines,” he said.

He also cautioned against political parties that make ambitious campaign promises without demonstrating corresponding organisational competence within their own structures.

The APC chairman maintained that political parties should be assessed not only on the basis of campaign rhetoric but also on their internal systems, preparedness, capacity to manage people and resources, and compliance with electoral regulations.

He said completing the candidate-upload process ahead of schedule would enable the APC to concentrate on other aspects of its preparations for the 2027 elections.

These, he said, include campaign coordination, candidate engagement, voter mobilisation, grassroots organisation, policy communication and reconciliation within the party.

Yilwatda commended the party’s National Working Committee, state leadership, candidates, election management teams and other officials who contributed to the successful completion of the exercise.

“The work has only begun. Completing the upload ahead of schedule gives us confidence, but it also places a greater responsibility on us. We must remain united, disciplined and focused,” he said.

He added that the APC would continue to strengthen its structures and systems ahead of the 2027 elections, which he said would provide Nigerians with an opportunity to make choices based on competence, continuity, stability and national development.This version retains the substantive claims and quotations while tightening repetition, improving attribution and giving the report a stronger straight-news structure.